Chloe Samantha
by oldmoviewatcher
Summary: "I'll send the school a call to tell them you're picking her up," He tells her. Twenty minutes later, a confused nine year old stares at the woman in front of her. "Where's my dad?" She asks. -An AU in which Mulder has a daughter.-
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, my pen name is oldmoviewatcher and I am new to the X-Files fanfic writing community.**

**Seriously though, I hope you enjoy this. It's set around season 1 after _Fire_, but can be set anywhere before that. It's a one-shot unless people are dying for more.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own _The X-Files_. That right is reserved to Chris Carter. **

**Enjoy!**

Agents Mulder and Scully sit bored in the man's office on a Friday morning. The passed year Scully has worked with the agent nicknamed Spooky Mulder and she finds the name fits him well sometimes. However, the nick name he should have, she surmises, is Astounding. First, she found out that he has a sister who he is still searching for after the child's alien abduction. If that is not enough, she has recently found that her partner has a past love interest whom they worked on a case with and the pair coincidentally share a nine year old daughter from said previous relationship. However, her partner's one shocking secret nags at her to find more. Finally, unable to keep her questions to herself, the red head has to have answers.

"Mulder, if your daughter lives with you, who takes care of her when you're gone?" Scully questions as they sit in their basement office. He grins as he asks, "Playing a game of Twenty Questions to pass the time, Agent Scully?" The look on his partner's face causes the man to finally become serious.

"She and her classmate Anna are really close. She also lives in our building, so Anna's parents have helped out a lot," Mulder says softly.

"So, you haven't taken her on any of your crusades through who knows where."

"Despite what you may think Agent Scully, I don't believe in endangering my child. Chloe is my world and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Mulder, I wasn't trying-"

The ringing of the office phone causes the conversation to cease.

"Skinner wants me in his office in half an hour. No excuses. I already flaked on him last week." Mulder says in reply to his partner's eyebrow raise. As the man is about to spout an off-handed comment, Mulder's work phone rings again. This time, a terrified look crosses his face an Scully can only deduce the conversation is about his daughter.

"I can't get Chloe and come back here in half an hour." Mulder exclaims once he tells his partner that Chloe is sick.

"I can get her Mulder. I only have paperwork left anyway and we both know I could simply do the work at home."

The look her partner gives makes her wonder if he will hug her. To her astonishment, Mulder indeed hugs her before giving her the directions to his daughter's school.

"I'll send the school a call to tell them you're picking her up."

Twenty minutes later, a confused nine year old stares at the woman in front of her.

"Where's my dad?" She asks.

"He got caught in a meeting. He told me you were sick so I offered to pick you up," Scully answers wondering if her actions were liked by the child, not that the nine year old has a choice. Scully and Chloe have only met a couple times and only in the confines of Mulder's office. The child merely nods asking if they could simply head back to the child's home instead. Scully consents as she takes the nine year old's backpack from her. Scully puts a hand reassuringly against her partner's daughter's back and leads the child out of the office once she signs the girl out.

"Where do you feel sick?" Scully asks once she and Chloe get inside her car. The female agent looks at the girl to get a full diagnosis.

"My throat hurts and I threw up in the bathroom. That's why they really sent me home."

"Anywhere else?" Scully queries.

"My head hurts too. Can I sleep?" She questions. Dana Scully nods, but makes the girl promise to tell her when she feels sick. After a silent drive to Mulder's apartment, Dana wakes the child up and they head upstairs. Mulder's daughter heads to her room, but Scully stops her.

"I need to take your temperature and check your throat first. Could you come in the kitchen for me?"

The child nods and walks into her kitchen. As Scully shines a light down the child's throat, checks the glands directly under the hinge of the jawbone closest to the top of the throat, and then takes the girl's temperature, Chloe's mind flits to a desire to have a mom. Her mom lives in England and barely sees her. She knows her dad does the best he can, but she still misses the maternal figure most of her friends have.

"You don't have a fever, but your throat's fairly red and your glands are a little swollen. I'm gonna call your dad and see if I can't get you into the doctor."

After a quick phone call a few minutes later, Scully was given the go ahead to take Mulder's daughter to see her pediatrician.

"Why do we have to go?" The now cranky nine year old asks from the back seat.

"Because you may be sicker than you think." Scully answers looking at the girl briefly with the rear view mirror.

"I'm tired," The child whimpers.

"You can sleep until we get there," Scully prompts.

"Sweetie, I need you to stay awake while I fill your paperwork out." Scully says. Chloe nods as she drowsily responds to the questions she is given. Finally, the child can sleep again. As the girl sleeps, the office door opens to reveal a woman in scrubs.

"Chloe Mulder." The nurse calls causing the child to wake up.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's go," Dana gently prompts guiding the child toward the nurse. Twenty minutes later, a doctor comes in and swabs the child's throat. As Scully and Chloe await the test results, the woman's phone rings.

"How is she?" Scully hears Mulder ask.

"We're still waiting, but it's probably strep," The agent answers as she strokes the sleeping child's brown hair.

"Can I talk to her?"

"She just fell asleep. I can wake her," The woman states softly making sure the nine year old does not wake up.

"No, I'll see her once you get back. Thanks, Scully."

"I don't mind Mulder. I'll let you go. They have her test results," Scully states once she hears a knock on the examination room door.

"Mrs. Mulder?" The physician questions.

"Oh, no. I'm a family friend. Dana Scully," The agent states holding out her hand for the physician to shake.

"Well, Ms. Scully, Chloe does have strep. I'll just write you a prescription to get filled and you can be on your way."

"Thank- you," Scully says to the woman before waking her charge.

"Hey, Chloe. We're going to go, but we have to fill your prescription first okay?"

The child nods but holds tight to Scully's hand and leans her head against Scully's arm.

Half an hour later, Scully and Chloe are back at Mulder's, much to the male's happiness.

"She's got strep. We picked up her medicine and I had her take some before we came back here. She should need more tonight," Scully states once Mulder comes back from putting his daughter in her bed. His look of uneasiness causes Scully to comfort him.

"She'll be fine, Mulder," the female insists.

"I still worry. Thanks again for looking after her," The man responds. Scully gives her partner a small smile.

"You're welcome Mulder. I'm glad to help," She answers as she grabs her purse.

"I know you have paperwork, so-" The man trails off as he sees his partner to his door. Scully nods before exiting leaving the male to cook some semblance of a dinner. Half an hour later, the male agent is about to drain the noodles for his pasta when he hears a knock on his door. Grabbing his gun, Mulder goes toward the entrance and is releaved when he hears Scully announce her presence from the other side. Sheepishly, the man opens the door.

"I realized I had kept Sam's medicine in my purse," Scully says handing the item to her partner.

"Thanks. That'll come in handy," Mulder quips as he takes the bottle from the woman. He pauses for a moment before asking if she wants to eat with him.

"Sam's asleep and I know she'll probably only eat toast anyway. I also know that eating alone in silence is no fun," The man adds to his first quandry. Scully accepts and re-enters the apartment.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asks as she sets her purse back down on the table. Mulder shakes his head.

"I just need to mix everything together and we should be set."

"Mulder, at least let me do something," Scully remarks.

"Could you grab a couple plates?" He questions begrudgingly as he nods his head toward the top cabinet. Scully opens the cabinet to find paper plates and solo cups.

"Really, Mulder? You don't have real plates or cups?" Scully counters wondering what kind of example he is setting for his daughter.

"I live a busy life, Mom. The real plates are in the cabinet to your left and mugs are nearer me," He answers to releive his partner's mind. Scully raises an eyebrow as if not believing the man, but both let their banter slide.

"How did your meeting go?" Scully asks after the agents sit in silence for the first five minutes of their meal.

"It was a meeting. Skinner questioned me, then you, who I defended. Same story as usual." Mulder states though Scully can tell he is leaving something out of his nonchalant answer. She is about to pry, when Mulder asks what all his partner was told when she took his daughter to the doctor.

"Just that she had strep. She slept the whole time we were there almost."

"Thanks for taking her. If I hadn't had that meeting-"

"I know," Scully states as she puts her hand over his, "Besides you'd do the same for me if the roles were reversed."

"Are you telling me you have a kid I'm not aware of Agent Scully?" He teases. His partner roles her eyes.

"Don't put words in my mouth Mulder. You know what I mean," She retorts before eating another bite of her food. Finally, she asks the question she has been dieing to ask for a while.

"What made you decide to name your daughter Chloe?"

"Chloe was Phoebe's idea. She really liked the name. Her middle name was in honor of Samantha."

At Mulder's words, spoken softly at the end, silence becomes the dominating force in the apartment amongst the pair. They are interrupted by the sound of feet against the wood floor of Mulder's apartment.

"Daddy," the voice prompts.

"Hey Sammie, what are you doing up?" Mulder questions as he gets up from his seat and heads toward his child.

"I needed water," is the weary reply.

"Go back to bed; I'll get you some. You need your medicine too," the father says as he ushers his daughter back to her room. A few minutes later, Scully watches with a smile on her face as her partner takes the medicine and a glass of water back to his daughter's room. As Mulder walks away, Scully cannot help the smile that crosses her face as her friend walks toward his daughter's room as a compassionate father instead of a head- strong FBI agent.

Ten minutes later, Mulder finds his paper plates thrown away and Scully putting the remaining pasta in his fridge. If this were any other night, the male agent would make a joke of the scene before them, instead he simply replies as he stands in the door way, "Thanks."

"I felt like I should help somewhat. Besides, I'm not one to leave a mess at another person's place," Scully responds. The friends pause a moment as they simply stare at each other in gratitude, Mulder, for having a friend who will willingly drop anything to help his tiny family, and Scully for simply having a friend to look out for.

"How does she feel?" Scully questions easing her way out of the kitchen. Mulder shakes his head as if to clear an invisible haze.

"She's asleep. She hasn't felt sick yet, but I left a trash can in there just in case," He responds only to follow up his remark with a small chuckle. Inquiring eyes stare back at him as his partner tries to figure out his new found mirth. Instead of opting for a long winded speech on how his partner will make a good mother some day, Mulder says, "Chloe was asking why you couldn't give her her medicine."

"Oh," The woman replies as she decides Mulder's walls are suddenly masterpieces.

"It's just, she's never done that before. It's interesting seeing her branch out toward other people. You know I'm not very close to my parents. My mom sees Chloe at least once a year, so there is no firm attachment to her. My dad she sees less so. I'm just grateful she has someone she can trust," Mulder says staring at his partner's porcelain face. He watches as a small smile graces his partner's lips. Then, she quickly looks at him with finality saying, "I should leave. If she needs anything-"

"I will. Thanks," Mulder states as he watches his partner walk out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews and alerts! I'm happy you guys like this! It's been a week, maybe over, but I've finally got a second chapter. Forgive any and all OOCness and possible typos. I promise I checked! **

**Enjoy! **

A week later, Chloe is better, but with school break starting, the young girl finds herself stuck in her father's basement office because her friend Anna's family is visiting family in Maryland. Crossing her arms, Chloe stares at the walls of her dad's office. Alien posters cover the room and a filing cabinet stands to the side. She has finished her book, and has decided the unlocked drawer of the filing cabinet holds ample reading material. Hearing her father talk of his job, she knows her dad's work is not as boring as the rest of the FBI agents'. Smiling, the nine year old nonchalantly walks toward the open drawer, grabs a file, and dashing back to her father's desk, reads the file's contents. In the middle of her reading, she is stopped by footsteps in front of the office.

"Hi, Agent Scully," Chloe states placing her book on top of the folder she is reading once the door opens slightly. The cheerful attitude of the child makes the young woman happy, especially after dealing with the case that has kept the nine year old cooped up in her father's office.

"Hi, Chloe," A now cheerful Scully says placing the file in her hand on the desk. Seeing a file she has never seen directly underneath the child's hand, Scully's eyes narrow slightly at the girl.

"What file is that?"

Mulder's daughter simply pulls an innocent expression she has no doubt inherited from the man. Recalling the directions she remembers Chloe being given by Mulder earlier, Scully states, unbeknownst to her with a hand on her hip, "I am pretty sure your father told you not to get into any of the files."

"I was bored," The girl defends, "I finished my book."

Scully smiles at the child's inquisitive nature before stating with a smile, "Put the file back before your dad sees it."

Chloe returns the smile before placing the file in its place. Quickly, the girl sits in her father's seat just as Mulder walks in.

"Hi, Daddy!" She chirps. Mulder raises an eyebrow.

"We've reverted to Daddy now?" He questions, "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to know if Scully could eat lunch with us." She states eager to not only change the topic but also matchmake. She is not blind, she knows the looks her dad and Scully give the other.

"That would be up to Scully," Mulder answers. At his statement, Chloe gives the woman her best puppy dog eyes. Scully smiles knowing she is unable to escape the child's pleading hazel orbs.

"Sure. I need to get out of the office anyway."

Excited, the nine year old grabs Mulder's hand and the trio heads off to a nearby diner. Ten minutes later, Mulder, pulls up in front of the diner and lets his daughter and partner go inside while he parks the car. The air is frigid and he has no desire for his daughter to get sick again. Scully opens the door for Chloe who happily trots off to pick a booth to sit in. Scully shakes her head at the girl's antics as she follows the young girl to where they will sit. As the woman and child take their coats off and sit down, a middle aged waitress comes by and asks for their drink orders. Once they give their orders, Scully asks, "What will your dad want?"

"He can have water. Ms. Carson was telling us that water is healthier than soda," Chloe tells Scully as the man in question walks in and an amused waitress walks away to fill their drinks. As Mulder sits down, he asks, "What's so funny?"

"Chloe placed your drink order for you," Scully answers with a smirk.

"What did you give me?" He questions eyeing his daughter warily.

"Water. It's healthier for you," Chloe advises. Mulder stares at his friend who sits opposite him as if she can help him somehow.

"You didn't stop her?" He asks, clearly joking about the situation. Scully simply smiles as she tells him he should have come in faster as she points to the menu in front of him and proceeds to take her own and peruse the menu. Just as the group decides on their food order, the waitress comes back with their drinks.

"It looks like we all have water. Did Chloe order for you too?" Mulder asks nodding his head toward his daughter as the waitress passes out their drinks.

"Unlike you, _I_ make healthy choices," Scully replies as Chloe backs the woman up with, "Yeah, Dad."

"I see it's two against one?" The waitress jokes to Mulder. He glances at the two before saying, "You could say that."

"My husband dealt with the same thing with me and our girls," The waitress answers fondly before composing herself and asking what they want to eat. Once the group finishes placing their orders, Chloe watches as Mulder and Scully exchange a confused glance. She can see neither wants to talk about the waitress's remark and decides to start her own conversation.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" Chloe asks as they wait for their food.

"My parents are coming to visit around New Years. I'm mailing my family's presents," Scully replies. A frown crosses the nine year old's face sad that the woman in front of her she has grown accustomed to seeing cannot see her family on Christmas.

"You aren't celebrating Christmas with anyone?" The child confirms. Scully takes a sip of her water, wishing the topic could change.

"I am, just not _on_ Christmas," Scully finally answers wondering what the child is scheming. By now both agents have caught on to her game, but neither know how to articulate a question that will give them their desired answer.

"You should have Christmas with us!" Chloe exclaims unaware of the shocked expression that crosses her father's face. An equally shocked Scully stares at the girl.

"Chloe, that's not up to me. You'd have to ask your father first," She answers hoping she has given her partner enough time to form a response of his own. Instead, Chloe looks at him pleading.

"Ask Agent Scully. I'm okay with it, but we still have to see Grandma this year too," Mulder answers before paying particular attention to a tray of food near by.

"Sure Chloe. When do you want me to come over?" Scully questions. After a long, thoughtful pause, Chloe decides on the twenty third.

Just as Chloe is about to bombard the woman with even more questions, the group's food arrives leaving at least fifteen minutes of solitude before either agent has to speak again. Thankful for the break in conversation, Scully and Mulder eat while Chloe pays particular attention to her father and his partner. She is pretty sure the agents are unaware of their silent conversation, and she finds the interaction fascinating. She has only seen actions like theirs in films, for some reason starring Meg Ryan, which Anna's mom watches once the woman thinks the girls are asleep. Silence is broken when Mulder speaks about the events of the case, which Scully shoots down with a quick eye movement toward Chloe which the girl notices. At Mulder's instant cease in conversation, his daughter decides to interject.

"That wasn't very subtle Agent Scully," Chloe stage whispers as if to prove her statement. A glare from her father sends the girl to quickly eat a few of her fries. Scully, undeterred simply says, "Mulder, I've dealt with worse from my godson when he was two. A blunt statement isn't going to make me head for the hills." The soft smile that graces Mulder's lips tells Scully her partner has a quick- witted remark he probably should not say in front of his daughter.

"What's a godson?" Chloe questions Scully effectively stopping the red head from teasing her partner. The woman smiles as she explains how she basically could become the legal guardian of her friend's son if something happened to his family. Taking the answer into account, Chloe looks at her father and questions him.

"Do I have a godparent?" The girl asks. Mulder shakes his head.

"Your mom and I couldn't think of who we'd ever want to give you to if something happened." He answers, though in truth, he and Pheobe had been too caught up with custody agreements at the time. Mulder's gaze settles on Scully as he thinks and neither Dana nor Chloe have the heart to question the man's peculiar actions. The woman and child exchange looks and a smile from across the table which magically sends Mulder out of his reverie. Deciding on a new topic, Mulder begins a new conversation. When the subject turns toward the case, Scully skillfully veers the conversation away from the man's possible theories. Chloe watches the adults' conversation with rapt attention until the waitress comes by with their bill. Once lunch is paid for, the trio heads to the office, where Chloe again bombards Scully with questions the agent skillfully answers thanks to her years in the FBI. The adults sit in Mulder's office for a few hours more filling out paperwork, when Chloe questions if she may use the bathroom. Seeing Mulder is still stuck with a good portion of work to do, Scully offers to take the nine year old.

"I don't know why Dad won't let me go alone. I'm in a government building," The child mumbles as she and Scully walk to the women's restroom. The adult tries to suppress a smile as she remembers a similar conversation with her sister when she was Chloe's age.

"I'll be out her when you're done." Scully states as the child enters the bathroom. As the woman waits, she sees Mulder come down the hall, his hair slightly disheveled.

"Did you have a war with yourself Mulder?" Scully questions as she takes in her friend's appearance. He gives her an odd look before remembering he has recently run his hands through his hair and took off his suit jacket. He shakes his head before replying, "I needed to get out of the office. I'm pretty sure it's suffocating me."

"You? The FBI's most unwanted?" Scully teases. Her words oddly enough are the first things Chloe hears once she exits the bathroom. Neither agent fully aware of the girl's presence, they continue to tease each other for another few seconds.

"Hi, Dad," Chloe states more as a question wondering why her father is in the hallway. He knows what his daughter is really asking. She has a way of skirting around questions.

"I needed a break," Mulder supplies to his daughter's all too inquisitive statement. Sometimes he wonders how much of her mother she inherited. He smiles at his daughter as he guides her back to his office wondering when she suddenly grew up on him. Scully sees the far away look in her partner's eyes and smiles a little to herself as she walks with the man back to his office.

"Daddy, when will you be done?" Chloe asks half an hour later when her father is still working on paperwork. The girl has easily mastered the art of puppy dog eyes which she willingly uses on her father as she rests her head on his shoulder. Mulder looks at his watch realizing his daughter's bed time is in an hour.

"Let me finish this up and we'll go." Mulder answers happy to get away from the monotonous work that consumes his work day. Chloe sighs and walks toward her book wishing she is home. Scully hears the conversation as she packs her things to leave. Putting her purse down for a moment, the woman looks at Chloe and asks about the girl's book which immediately lauches the girl into the fictional world she read about. As the girl finishes her lengthy exlpanation, Scully can see in her peripheral vision that Mulder is closing his folder. The woman patiently waits for the girl to finish before grabbing her purse before telling the small family good-bye.

"Bye, Scully! Don't forget about the twenty- third," Chloe calls. Dana smiles and tells the girl she remembers before leaving for the day.

Keeping her promise, Scully turns up at Mulder's apartment on the twenty- third of December. Once the man's door is opened, Scully is greeted with an ecstatic Chloe and an amused Mulder trailing behind her. They both wear pajamas. The woman carries two packages into the room much to the delight of the nine- year- old who bluntly stares at the larger package. Eager to let the woman participate in the day, Chloe takes the presents and puts them near the tree as she declares that there is an extra mug of hot chocolate for the female, who is secretly slipped a mug of coffee by her partner.

"We're eating breakfast in a minute!" The nine year old exclaims. Scully raises an eyebrow at her partner who quickly explains that Chloe has the entire day planned.

"You let her plan the _whole_ day?" Scully questions as Chloe goes to check on the status of their breakfast.

"Well, most of it. She's really excited about you being here. She's been planning this for over a week," He states softly as his daughter comes back in the room. Deciding to join in the festivities, Scully asks what they are having for breakfast.

"Pancakes! Dad's making his special kind though! Aren't you Dad?" Chloe asks as she leads Dana into their living room, which is surprisingly clean since the last time she came over. Mulder returns to the kitchen where he adds more butter to the pan on his stove. Scully walks to the entrance of the kitchen since Chloe has banished the woman into another room while she finishes up the woman's present.

"Are those potatoes?" Scully asks as she watches her partner flip a pancake over. Mulder smiles at her as he says, "My grandmother made this every year. I decided to start the tradition back up when Chloe was younger."

Skeptically, Scully looks at the pancakes on the plate beside the cook. Seeing the look on his friend's face, Mulder defends his food by exclaiming, "Honest! Try a bite!"

After pointing his spatula toward the plate with the pancakes, Scully hesitantly walks toward the plate and breaks off a piece of the food. Mulder's eyebrows raise signalling his need for a response from the woman beside him.

"I give you credit Mulder. These are pretty good," She states genuinely impressed with her friend's cooking. Absentmindedly, the woman reaches for another bite of the pancake when she sees a spatula near her hand.

"Were you going to hit me Mulder?" Scully questions, her tone one of shock.

"You can't just eat the breakfast Scully. We need it for later," Mulder answers before shooing his friend out of the kitchen. Sticking her tongue out at the man, Scully turns to see Chloe coming from her bedroom.

"Did Dad kick you out of the kitchen?" Chloe asks as she goes to sit with Scully who presently resides on the sofa.

"Yeah, he did," The woman responds admiring the tree that Chloe obviously put the most effort in. A smile lights up on the child's face when she notices Scully's smile as the woman looks at the Mulder's tree. Leading the woman over to the tree, Chloe proceeds to show her the various ornaments she has made over the years. Admiring some of the handmade ornaments Chloe shows her, the females are startled when Mulder calls them out to say that breakfast is ready.

"Can we watch _Miracle on 34th Street_ Dad?" Chloe questions as she eats the last third of her pancake.

"When it comes on, but I thought you had everything planned for today," Mulder teases much to his friend's chagrin. The woman watches as the father and daughter quip and banter back and forth reminding her a small bit of her and her dad talking about _Moby Dick_ she Starbuck and he Ahab. Her memories are stopped however when her attention is soon brought back to Mulder's daughter.

"Dad said we can make cookies!" Chloe exclaims jumping from her chair and guiding Scully toward the kitchen.

"Before cookies, we need to clean up the table Chlo," Mulder says pointing to the plates sitting on the table. Chloe sighs as she picks up her plate. Scully stands to the side trying to supress a grin at the child's attitude which reminds her a small bit of her and her sister at Chloe's age.

"Scully's too, Chloe." Mulder states as he watches his child simply take her own plate. Scully comes close to interrupting when Mulder stops her with a warning look. Once his daughter heads to the kitchen with both her and Scully's plates the man looks at his partner and says, "She has to learn to be responsible." Mulder is puzzled by the look his partner gives him at his statement. The only answer he receives before his daughter calls the adults into the kitchen is, "You do very well with her Mulder." After his partner's words which leave the male with a slight ego boost, he and Scully walk into the kitchen, Mulder with his own plate. Once he puts his dishes away, the man leaves the kitchen with a simple, "Have fun ladies!" Scully rolls her eyes at the man before turning her attention to Chloe who is eagerly getting out cookie cutters from a bottom cabinet. Mulder, who has positioned himself in the living room with the television listens to his daughter laugh with his co- worker. Curious why the two are laughing so hard, Mulder chuckles when he sees the two women eating some of the dough from their fingers.

"Okay, no more," Scully states taking the wooden spoon from the child and herself before instructing the girl to roll the dough into balls and place them on the cookie sheet. The girl happily helps the adult and Mudler cannot help the smile that appears when he hears his daughter say, "I like making cookies with you Scully."

Letting Scully and his daughter bake their cookies, Mulder goes back to the living room to watch the rest of A Christmas Story. After a few minutes, Chloe and Scully come into the living room. Chloe crawls onto the couch and curls up next to her father as Scully sits on the chair nearest them until Chloe invites Scully to sit beside her. Suddenly, the girl leaves the couch and heads toward her room.

"Where are you going Chlo?" Mudler calls out.

"To get my present!" The girl calls back. Mulder looks at Scully who is on the other side of the sofa.

"I guess we're opening presents now," He states muting the television. Scully smiles but says nothing. Mulder starts to ask his partner the reason for her smile when his daughter runs back into the room with a wrapped package she hands to Scully. The woman looks at Mulder who shrugs. Opening the gift, Scully is touched to find a small handmade ornament.

"Our teacher said we could make one for anyone we wanted if we finished early. This one's for you!" Chloe states as she points out that the woman had to be careful because part of the ornament could fall off. Scully smiles at the girl as she says, "I'll keep it safe and put it on my tree for you." The grin that spreads across the child's face makes Scully's smile grow wider. Breaking the silence, Mulder interrupts the moment explaining that there are more gifts to open.

"You got me a new bike?!" Chloe practically exclaims once her father wheels the bike into the livingroom from his bedroom. As his daughter marvels at the gift, Mulder whispers, "I should've given that to her Christmas Day shouldn't I?" The nod he gets from his friend confirms his statement. Once the child's excitement has worn down, the presents continue. The last present is the one Scully gives Chloe. The child opens the gift to find the first five Nancy Drew books. When the child is unresponsive, Scully says quickly, "I figured after the other week in the office, you could read about solving mysteries, while we were working on boring paperwork. If you don't like them-" The woman has no other chance to explain herself when Chloe envelopes the woman in a hug. Mulder watches his partner as she hugs his daughter. Suddenly the timer goes off in the kitchen breaking the scene between the trio.

"The cookies!" The girl exclaims running toward the kitchen with the adults not far behind her. Mulder takes the cookies out and places the sheet on the stove.

"Let's let these cool first and then we'll eat them." Scully says as she notices Chloe about to take a cookie.

"Weren't you going to frost them too?" Mulder questions his daughter whose eyes brighten remembering the red and green frosting that sits in the fridge. Mulder then remembers the movie he knew was coming on and quickly relays the information to his daughter who happily runs into the living room and unmuting the television at the start of _Miracle on 34th Street_.

"Come sit with us Scully." Chloe demands once she sits on the couch next to her father who has just sat down. The look her father gives her reminds her to add, "Please?" Scully sits with the family as they watch the movie.

"Can we go to Macy's, Dad?" Chloe asks at the scene when Susan visits Santa. Mulder gives his daughter a look unsure if she means the one in D.C. or the one in New York.

"Please? We can see Santa, or find aliens!" The younger Mulder encourages knowing her father and his work. Scully smirks at the statement.

"I think she's got you there Mulder," The woman states from her seat on the couch. To stop the two from ganging up on him, Mulder changes the subject by saying, "Don't you have cookies to frost?" A grin spreads across his daughter's face as she heads to the kitchen. An hour later the cookies are finished and the three are finishing the movie, which Mulder thankfully recorded the year before. By three o'clock that afternoon, Chloe is ready to ride her bike.

"Sweetie, it's snowing outside," Mulder states much to his daughter's disappointment. Scully looks out the window to see the snow falling a little harder than earlier.

"I should go Mulder, before I can't drive in this anymore," The woman states. Chloe looks at the woman and questions, "Do you have to?"

"Sorry, Chloe," Scully states looking at the girl, "The roads may get worse and I need to get home." Chloe sighs and goes to hug the woman.

"Thank- you for my present," The girl tells the red head as she hugs her father's co- worker.

"Thank- you for mine," Scully states before she grabs her purse and her gifts.

"Hey, Scully, how about we help you," Mulder states knowing Chloe will want a little longer to say good-bye. Scully looks at Mulder questioningly.

"I only have a few things Mulder. I'll be fine," His partner states. However, as soon as the woman's words leave her mouth, Scully sees Chloe come out with a ziploc bag of cookies.

"You should keep some," The girl says handing the bag to the red head. Scully smiles, "I will. Thanks sweetie." The adults look out the window again.

"I should go," Scully says giving Chloe a final hug and her partner a brief good- bye before she walks out of the apartment and heads back to her home. Walking into her own apartment, Scully places her presents in her living room and her cookies to the kitchen. Making herself tea, Scully walks into her living room as the water boils to reopen the present Chloe has given her and places the ornament on her tree before turning on the news to watch for the storm. When her kettle boils, Scully pours tea in a mug and sits back on her sofa. As she watches the storm move outside and on the news, her home phone rings.

"Hello?" Scully asks answering her phone.

"Hi, Scully!" Chloe says on the other end. A smile makes its way to Scully's lips as she is asked if the woman has made it home okay. Scully answers her questions for a few more minutes until she hears Mulder tell his daughter she needs to help clean as well as ask who is on the other end of the phone. There is a muffled sound as Scully guesses that Mulder has taken control of the phone.

"Hey, Scully, Chloe couldn't wait any longer to call," The man states. Scully smiles to herself before replying, "It's fine. You don't have to apologize for her. I feel bad for not staying longer."

"Don't worry about it. The weather's supposed to pick up later tonight, so it's probably a good thing you left." A pause finds its way between the adults until Mulder continues with, "Since I told Chloe she can't ride her bike, she's decided to devour the books you got."

"I'm glad she likes it so far. It's only been about an hour since I left. How far is she into it?" Scully questions.

"She's still in the first chapter. Like her father, she gets distracted easily."

Scully chuckles, "Well, I'll let you get back to what you need to do. Tell Chloe I'll see her after Christmas and to have a great break." Mulder smiles.

"I will Scully, have fun with your parents next week," The man answers unaware that his daughter is listening to at least his end of the conversation curious what the rest of her father and Scully's conversation is. Just like Susan in _Miracle on 34th Street_, she would not mind having a family for Christmas. The only problem is she has no idea how to get her dad and Scully together.

**I feel this ending is a little weak, but c'est la vie. **

**Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! Just wanted to say thanks to the support for the last chapter. Sadly, this is not going to be as happy as the first ones. You've been warned. **

**Disclaimer: Any actual lines from the show (there are at least two) are owned by the writers of ****_The X-Files _****and therefore, not mine.**

**Enjoy!**

The next week, Scully finds herself cleaning her apartment in time for her parents to stay with her. Worried her home will not be presentable for her parents, the woman seems to find one more item that needs to be fixed in some way. Halfway through vacuuming her living room, Dana somehow hears her land line ring. Figuring her parents are calling to tell her they are on their way, the woman turns off the vacuum and answers her phone. To her surprise, she hears a different voice come after her greeting.

"Hey, Scully," A worried Mulder says, "I know your parents are coming soon, but could you-" The man is interrupted by his daughter who asks if she can take over the phone. Hearing muffled sounds come from the other line, Scully waits for her partner's daughter to start speaking.

"Dad thinks I broke my arm and wants you to make sure." The nine year old bluntly states. Wondering whose idea this actually is, Scully hears Mulder chide his daughter for being rude while the man's phone is again changed from one person to the other.

"I know it's short notice, but we're at the park that has the best sledding and it just so happens to be the one near your apartment. Anyway, I think Chloe may have broken her arm or something on the last hill."

"The sled fell on top of me!" Chloe yells so the woman can hear. Scully raises her eyebrows even though she knows neither father nor daughter can see her.

"She sounds pretty composed for a child with a broken bone Mulder," The woman states coolly. A little aggravated, Mulder explains the incident and how his daughter really did fall underneath her sled and slid down the hill with her arm caught in the rounded runners of the sled. Now, not only skeptical, but also worried, Scully gives her consent for the pair to enter her apartment. Waiting for her partner and his daughter, Scully busies herself with putting her vacuum away, knowing she will get no more cleaning done before her parents arrive. Fifteen minutes later, the woman hears a knock on her door. Without checking who is on the other side, Scully opens her apartment door with her partner's name on her lips. Instead, her word morphs quickly into, "Mom, hi! Hi, Dad!"

Her parents stare at their daughter strangely.

"It's good to see you too, Dana," Scully's mother Maggie replies deciding not to pry into her daughter's behavior. A sheepish grin crosses the woman's face as she ushers her parents inside her apartment.

"Do I need to help Dad get anything else?" The younger female questions as her father brings two small suitcases inside. Her mother smiles before shaking her head.

"You know your father. He always packs light," Maggie responds referencing her father's ability to pack light due to his days in the Navy. Scully gives the adults a smile before letting her parents get put their suitcases away. Once her parents are gone, Scully walks toward her phone to call her partner when she hears a different knock on the door. This time checking to make sure who is on the other side, the woman sighs in relief when she sees the Mulders.

"Hi, Scully," Mulder states with his arm around his daughter. Chloe stands still trying not to sniffle at the pain radiating through her arm. Scully simply smiles as she lets the pair inside her apartment.

"Hey, Chloe, can you take your coat off for me or at least get your dad to help?" The woman questions as she nods at the sofa for her partner to sit down. Chloe nods as Mulder helps his daughter out of her coat and roll up her shirt sleeve.

"Thanks for this. I checked her out when she fell, but felt I may be overreacting and decided on a second opinion," Mulder quips earning an eye roll from his partner as she tests the movement of his daughter's arm.

"Where exactly is the pain Chloe?" Scully asks when the girl makes no sudden movement when her wrist is turned. Chloe moves her right hand nearer her elbow.

"It hurts all along here," The child responds running her right hand up and down the mid part of her left upper arm. Scully feels the area and watches as the girl she's become attached to winces. Scully lets the child's arm go before giving a smile to her partner then saying to his daughter, "You've been a wonderful patient Chloe."

"Hey, Dana, do you have-" Maggie Scully stops when she sees her daughter with a dark haired man and girl. Her husband comes behind his wife. Seeing the two other people, the man starts to ask who they are, but is shushed by his wife's hand.

"See Dad? I'm a good patient!" Chloe teases her father before explaining to Scully, "Dad usually says I'm whiny." The red head laughs.

"You were a few weeks ago remember?" Scully responds trying to keep the child's mind off of her arm.

"I can vouch for that," Mulder states. Chloe rolls her eyes at her father knowing she can be snarky if she has an injury. Her father looks at Scully and asks, "So what's the damage Doc?"

"Seriously, that's all you've got Mulder?" Scully teases before telling the two that the girl's arm is more than likely broken.

"Thanks Scully," Mulder says as the FBI agents stand up with Chloe following suit. Just as the father and daughter turn to leave, Chloe asks where the woman's bathroom is. Scully tells her before asking if she needs help. However, when the woman spots her parents coming in the room she instantly feels like a teenager who has done something wrong. Trying to stay composed, Scully gestures toward her partner and his daughter, "This is my co- worker and his daughter, Mulder and Chloe. Mulder and Chloe, my parents, William and Maggie Scully."

Mulder smiles at the adults as he stretches out his hand, "Fox Mulder, nice to meet you." William takes the man's hand and shakes it before leaning down to Chloe and stretching out his left hand, she greets the man with her right hand.

"Tell them your name, sweetheart," Mulder prompts. Maggie simply smiles at the man and says, "It's fine. If I remember correctly, your daughter needs to use the bathroom." With Chloe down the hall, William is now able to give his daughter's partner the once over.

"Bill," Maggie says softly knowing her husband is about to give the man the third degree. Mulder, confused, but not unversed in the father's actions says, "We were nearby and Chloe broke her arm. I decided to let Scully have a look before I officially took her to the Med."

Maggie gives her daughter a look and both women exit the room, Scully to check on Chloe and Maggie to start tea. Making her way down the hall, Scully stops in front of her hall bathroom and asks, "Chloe, are you okay?"

"Will you help me?" Is the reply the woman receives. Scully opens the door to the bathroom slowly before helping the girl. Leaving the bathroom, Chloe gives Scully an odd look when she hears Maggie stop William's conversation. From what, neither woman nor child is sure. Deciding not to let anyone else break a bone, Scully and Chloe walk into the living room.

"You ready to go, Chlo?" Mulder questions reaching a hand out to his daughter. The child simply nods wondering what has happened to cause her father's nervousness. Maggie leads her husband toward the kitchen while Mulder thanks his partner again.

"Seriously, Mulder. It's fine," Scully answers.

"If I'd known your parents had come-" He trails off when his partner gives him her signature look meaning the subject should be dropped as Chloe hugs the woman with her free hand.

"Thanks, Scully," The girl says causing a smile to form on the woman's face as she lets the adult and child leave her home. Letting the door close, Scully waits for the questions that will soon come from both her parents.

"He was nice," Maggie says handing a cup of tea to her daughter. Scully smirks as she says, "Dad seemed to think otherwise."

"Your father only wants to protect you," Her mother replies, "It's hard to see your child grow up."

"I was only making sure Chloe's arm wasn't broken," Scully mumbles. Maggie smiles at her daughter's reaction before leaving her daughter with, "Tell him that."

Scully goes to her couch where her father is sitting watching a movie on the television.

"Hi, Ahab," The woman starts giving her father the nickname she's had for him since childhood as she sits next to her father. With no reply from the man beside her, Scully decides to stare at the channel her father is watching.

"So, Mulder. Is he the eccentric your mom said you worked with?" He questions evenly.

"Yes, but he's not as eccentric as you'd think. He simply cares a lot for what he does," Scully explains wanting to add that her friend cares for his daughter over his work.

"What had him come over here?" William Scully questions as he mutes the volume on the television. His daughter recalls the events that have transpired before waiting for her father's reply. Instead of a lecture, Scully's father simply says, "You seem very close to them."

"I am," She answers wondering where the conversation is heading. Instead, the woman is interrupted by her mother.

"Where'd you get this ornament Dana?" Maggie Scully asks her daughter as she admires the handmade craft on the tree in the far corner of the apartment.

"Oh, that's from Chloe," Dana responds getting off the couch and moving toward her mother. The FBI agent is aware of the look her mother gives her out of the corner of her eye. Scully simply rolls her eyes.

"Mulder and I are colleagues. Chloe was simply thinking of me during Christmas. I told her I would not be spending Christmas with my family on Christmas day and she decided I could celebrate with her instead. Considering her plan, the day also included Mulder."

"You spent Christmas with your co-worker and his daughter," Maggie states plainly.

"Not _on_ Christmas. Mulder and Chloe have his parents to spend Christmas with as well," Scully answers taking her mother's empty mug into the kitchen with her own. As the red head washes the mugs, she asks from the kitchen if anyone is opposed to eating out for dinner.

Scully sits at a restaurant later that night with her parents on the other side of her. As the group eats their food, the woman is interrupted by the ringing of her cell. Excusing herself from her parents, the woman answers her phone to find her partner calling her.

"This isn't about a case is it?" The red head questions as she looks back over at her parents who are talking together and smiling. Part of her finds the older couple's interactions adorable, but the daughter side of her wishes them to stop. Her mind is brought back to her phone conversation when Mulder says, "No. I took Chloe to the Med. Her arm is fractured, but she should be okay."

The line becomes unresponsive for a moment as she hears the nine- year- old ask if she may talk. Hearing the fumbling of her partner's phone, Scully waits for Chloe to speak.

"I can't move my arm now," Is the first thing the medical examiner hears from the young girl. Scully merely smiles as she shakes her head at the child's words.

"It'll help you feel better, I promise. If your arm itches, just stick a pencil inside it to scratch. That's what I did when I broke my arm," The woman responds. She is happy to hear the child in a fairly good mood, but worries about leaving her parents alone any longer. They are more than eager to question her about her personal life.

"You broke your arm, too? Dad said he broke his leg, but that's not the same. How'd you break your arm?" The child asks. Scully smiles at the girl's questioning. However, she really needs to get back to her food. In reply, Scully says, "How about we get together and I tell you another time. I'm with my parents right now, but I promise after they leave, we'll have a day just me and you." Realizing she may have stepped over a boundary, Scully quickly amends her comment with, "As long as your father says it's okay."

"Okay! Here's Dad!" Chloe answers excitedly while the static on the other end signals her partner's phone is again switching hands.

"Sorry about that, Scul," Mulder states now in control of his phone again. Scully shakes her head in response before telling him that she does not mind, but needs to let him go to go back to her parents. He agrees and Scully is left a minute later to resume her dinner with her parents.

"What was that about Dana?" Maggie questions as her daughter sits back at the table.

"Mulder wanted to update me on Chloe. She's fine," Scully briskly answers hoping to avoid another conversation involving her platonic relationship with her partner. The red head takes a bite of food before, her father asks, his tone more of curiosity than surprise, "Mulder isn't married?" His daughter nearly chokes on her food, but shakes her head as she tries to form words.

"No. It's just him and Chloe," She chokes out before she is questioned about Chloe's mother. Scully briefly explains the smallest details about Pheobe before picking a new topic. To the FBI agent's annoyance, the conversation she has between her parents the rest of the night involves picking and choosing diversionary tactics she has acquired from her short time working with the x-files. As the conversation starts to turn from her favor, nothing makes her happier than when the group is back at Scully's apartment and her parents can turn in for the night. Talking her parents out of their idea of her personal life is exhausting. Letting her parents get ready for bed, Scully decides to make a cup of tea, but spies the cookies she has from Chloe. Just as the woman picks up the last remaining cookie, she hears her mother's footsteps in the room. Her mother crosses to the kitchen table to ultimately sit opposite her daughter.

"I'm sorry if we bombarded you with questions at dinner tonight Dana. It's just," The older female stops to word her sentence before continuing, "we have no idea what is happening with you. Then, we come to see you and there is a man and his daughter in your living room. We just need to know what is happening so we aren't blindsided again."

Scully sighs knowing her mother is correct. However, she still feels her parents have made a big deal of nothing. Her relationship with her partner is strictly platonic. She simply helps take care of his daughter from time to time. Her actions do not automatically make her and her partner a romantic couple.

"I know, Mom. I just wish you both did not see things that weren't there," The red head states surprised how easily the words fall from her mouth. She must be spending too much time trying to debunk her partner's theories.

"I understand Sweetheart. I do. You are simply helping a colleague," Maggie answers before adding, "Your father however sees things differently. You know how he is with you and Melissa regarding the men you are with."

Scully smirks as she breaks off another piece of her cookie.

"Trust me, Mom. I remember," The younger woman answers. Maggie puts a hand over daughter's and says, "I'll tell your father to stop his questions for the time being."

A smile escapes Scully's lips feeling as if she is back in high school or college as she mumbles, "Thanks."

Maggie stands from her seat to walk toward her daughter to give her a kiss on the forehead and says,"Good night, Dana."

"Night, Mom," Scully responds as her mother leaves the room and alone with her thoughts. The sound of the clock in her kitchen brings the red head back to the present as she realizes she has eaten the rest of her cookie and she has to make dinner the next day. Groaning, the female washes her plate off and tries to remember what her parents' favorite food is before heading to bed.

Eight hours later, Scully finds herself awake due to the aroma of fresh cooked food. Curious as to who is cooking, the female agent enters the room to find both her parents awake drinking coffee and eating breakfast.

"Morning Starbuck," William Scully says from his seat at the table facing his daughter. Maggie turns and smiles at her daughter. Part of the red head questions if she has stepped into an episode of _The Twilight Zone_ wondering if she should call Mulder and ask him his opinion. Thankfully, she remembers the conversation she and her mother had the night before, so all plans of her parents being her new x-files case are off. Plastering a smile on her face, Dana Scully walks into the kitchen to grab herself a cup of coffee as she sits with her parents. The conversation she has with them are light, but none deal with Mulder or Chloe, much to Scully's liking. She enjoys the father and daughter, but constant questioning by her parents makes the red head feel less of the Mulders' friend and more of an informant. As the day continues, Scully can tell her parents want to question her. The looks the woman's parents give each other and their daughter all day easily tell the FBI agent she is better off letting them ask. Not until she starts dinner, does Maggie Scully come into the kitchen and ask, "Need any help?"

Scully turns to face her mom. She knows one of her parents will cave eventually, so she lets her mom help her and finally says, "You can talk about them, Mom."

"Does Mulder have any siblings?" Maggie asks as she chops up vegetables on a cutting board she has placed near her daughter. Scully puts the meat she has just picked up back in the sink.

"He did. His sister went missing when he was young," Scully states quickly reclaiming the food she has put down and taking it out of its container. Seeing the topic is obviously not the right one, Maggie changes the topic.

"How did you meet Chloe?" Scully's mother decides to ask. Scully smiles at the question.

"I met her for the first time when her mother was in town. Mulder brought her to the office when he knew he was working late and Pheobe was also there. I somehow ended up watching after her for an hour while Mulder had to talk to Pheobe about the case we were working with her on," Scully answers remembering being bewildered when Mulder suddenly left her in charge.

"He trusted you that quickly?" Maggie questions as they continue cooking.

"He didn't really have a choice at the moment," Scully says as she lets her mother put the remaining vegetables in the pan with the roast she has prepared. Sliding the dish into the oven, Scully sits at the table with her mother. A smile on her daughter's face lets Maggie question her daughter.

"What?" The older woman asks. Scully shakes her head before saying, "After Pheobe left, I came into the office imitating her. Mulder turned around rather quick."

"You've always been one to play tricks haven't you?" William Scully questions as he comes into the kitchen. At his question, Maggie jumps in with a story about Dana at around three years old playing pranks on her brothers. As the story continues, the parents and daughter become engrossed in past memories until dinner is ready. As the portion of the Scully family eats their meal, Maggie continues to tell stories with William interjecting every now and then. Finally, with dinner finished, Scully stands to take the plates to the sink, when her mother says, "We can do that later. Stay and talk with us for a bit. We haven't seen you in close to a year."

Complying, Scully sits with her parents and listens to their stories. Some she has never heard before and makes a mental note to remember them. Maggie, after her last story of the night, tells her daughter she is going to sleep to which the woman gives her mother a hug before taking the plates to her sink. Seeing his daughter put away the dishes, William Scully takes the roasting pan from the table.

"Hey, Starbuck," The man starts, "Where does this go?" Seeing her father has opened the fridge, Scully dries her hands and helps the former Naval Captain move the other items in her fridge to accommodate the pan now resting on the counter.

"Thanks," Scully tells her father when the kitchen is cleaned. The woman is unsure what to say next. Normally when her father helps around the kitchen, he wants something whether it be an extra helping of dessert or to talk privately with someone. Scully guesses the latter.

"Starbuck, your mother told me I couldn't ask you too many questions about your partner and his daughter, but can I at least ask one?" The man asks. Scully smiles at her father and consents. The man looks his daughter straight in the eyes and asks, "Is your partner a good man?" Resolutely, Dana Scully answers, "Yes, he is."

Nodding in response, William Scully goes to his daughter and kisses her on the forehead before heading off to bed. Left alone in the kitchen for the second night in a row, Scully simply stares at the empty hallway leading to her bedroom. She has no idea why her father has asked her about her partner's character, but decides not to dwell on the question any longer. In her practical state of mind, the medical examiner simply deduces she needs sleep. Taking her own advice, the woman flicks off her kitchen light and heads to bed. The next day plays out much like the day before, except Scully and her parents exchange gifts. That night, the parents and daughter again talk after dinner. Maggie thanking her daughter for letting them stay and William teasing her about her tree still being up a week after Christmas. Scully's only remark for her father is, "After all the years you took down our tree right after Christmas, I am making up for lost time." Her quip ends with laughter as Maggie and William hug their daughter good- bye. After hugging her mother, Scully turns to her father.

"Good sailing, Ahab," Scully tells her father.

"Good night, Starbuck," He replies before he and his wife head home. Being the good daughter she is, Scully sees her parents out of her apartment, again telling them to be safe on their way home before she shuts her apartment door. With her parents gone, Scully decides to clean up her apartment. In the middle of straightening up her living room, the woman hears a call from her land line. Answering, she finds her mother is calling. Now, broken and upset, Scully sits in silence taking in the news her mother has just given her. Her father is dead and she has no way to process her feelings rationally. Instead, Dana Scully lets tears fall for the next full day before she picks up her phone and calls a number she knows all too well.

"Hey, Mulder," She says, "I need to tell you something."

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Any and all mistakes are mine. **

**Enjoy!**

"Is everything okay Dad? You look sad," Chloe states from her seat on the couch, the first Nancy Drew book now sitting beside her on the couch. Mulder gives his daughter a small smile that in no way reaches his eyes. Calmly, the man sits down. Mulder has no idea why he feels the way he does, or why he needs to break the news he has with a serious tone, but he does.

"Chloe," Mulder starts, "Scully just called me. Her dad died last night."

The agent watches as the gears turn in his daughter's mind. Chloe understands the idea of death. She cannot say she has experienced the pain, because she never has, but she knows there is sadness. When her and Anna's friend's grandmother died, she and Anna helped make food and bring it to their friend's family.

"Could we make her something? I know when Meagan's grandma died, we made food," Chloe offers. Touched by his daughter's generosity, Mulder smiles and answers, "Maybe tomorrow after I get off work. Right now you need to go to bed."

Sighing, Chloe stands from the couch and walks toward her room. Her attitude makes Mulder chuckle as he tidies up his living room a small bit. A few minutes later, he heads toward Chloe's room to check on the child. To his relief, Chloe is in her bed, her stuffed elephant she got as a toddler beside her. Chloe gives her father a small smile when she sees the run down look on his face. She knows her father knows more about losing a family member more than she can comprehend.

"Dad," The child calls gaining her father's attention, "How long will Scully be sad?" Mulder moves from his place in the doorway to sit on his daughter's bed. He traces the pattern on his daughter's comforter before stating he does not know.

"Dad, will I ever loose you?" The child questions. Deciding not to sugar coat the complexities of life, but still wanting to let his daughter keep her innocence, Mulder quips, "Eventually, but hopefully not until I'm old and grey."

The father and daughter are quiet a moment longer before Mulder reaches out for his daughter to give him a hug and a kiss good night. Leaving his daughter's bedside, Mulder turns the child's bedroom light off and heads toward his own room across the hall. Before he shuts the door to his room, Mulder hears his daughter call out, "I love you." A smile crosses the man's face as he repeats the words back to his daughter with the same compassion she has just used. A pang crosses his heart knowing Scully will never get to experience what has transpired between him and his daughter again.

The next night, Mulder and Chloe knock on Scully's apartment door. The man made sure he has asked Scully's permission before coming over, and to his daughter's delight, and if he were honest, his as well, Scully has accepted the father and daughter coming over. However, once Scully opens the door, Mulder has to remind himself not to drop the food he and Chloe made. His friend is dressed simply in sweats with her hair in a pony tail. He is not used to the bereaved Scully he sees before him. Her eyes are puffy and his heart aches knowing how hurt his partner is. Thankfully, Scully ushers the adult and child inside. Seeing his friend close to breaking down, he quickly puts the food on her counter. Scully has followed the father and daughter into the kitchen and leans against the counter.

"Hi, Scully," Chloe says softly, "I told Dad we should make you food."

A ghost of a smile creeps across the woman's face as she bends down to the girl. Engulfing the child in a hug, Scully holds the young girl for a minute. For some reason seeing Mulder and his daughter makes her feel better. She simply chalks the emotion to needing comfort. Letting the child go, Scully's smile broadens for a moment as she says in just above a whisper, "Thank-you."

Seeing the woman's Christmas tree still up, Chloe asks if she can look at the ornaments. Mulder and Scully agree, letting the girl admire the tree that Scully still has up. Alone, the two agents stand in front of each other.

"Hey, Scully." Mulder says softly unsure of how he should approach the woman. When they first met, she made the first move and sought him for comfort. Now, he is unsure of how he should act. She is more vulnerable now then when they had their first assignment. He is not making sure his partner will not die from a case only to hug his partner at her relief. Now, he is trying to comfort a bereaved friend whom he has never seen mourn before. To his relief, the adults silently watch his daughter until Scully states, "I can't bring myself to take it down. That was the last thing he-" At her sentence drops off, she silently pleads for human contact from the man. Mulder, seeing the look on his partner's face, hugs his partner to him as she silently lets tears flow down her face. The duo stands embracing in the kitchen a few seconds until Mulder whispers, "I'd stay, but there's a child I need to put to bed." Scully sniffles a moment and nods her head breaking the pair's embrace.

"If you need to talk at all-" Mulder states. Scully nods, "I know."

The brunet turns toward his daughter who has now moved toward Scully's computer and tells her they have to leave. Nodding, Chloe walks toward Scully and gives her a hug with her good arm.

"Bye, Scully. I hope you feel better," The child says looking up at the woman. Scully smooths Chloe's hair with her left hand and gives a reassuring smile that does not fully meet the woman's ice blue eyes. As she watches the pair leave, Scully reassures them she will be fine. Once the father and daughter leave, Scully approaches the dish they left. Smiling to herself she finds they have made her a casserole. Shaking her head, Scully puts the food away with the other casserole dish that sits in her refrigerator. Deciding to call her day to a close, the red head walks into her room and crawls under the covers on her bed, silently thanking GOD for her partner and his daughter.

The next morning, Mulder is shocked to see Scully walk into the office. He tells her she can stay home longer, but she refuses. She simply asks that she be given time to go to her father's funeral. Mulder asks if they should attend, but Scully shakes her head. She decides not to talk any longer about her father and instead launches head long into their case. As they go through their dealings with a supposed psychic, Mulder can tell his partner is still shaken by her father's death, but cannot bring himself to tell her anything. She usually deals with her problems alone. After their first meeting with their perpetrator, he can see Scully is visibly rattled by something the criminal has told her. Waiting until they are in the car, Mulder asks, "What did he say to you?"

"Boggs?" She questions knowing the criminal is exactly who the man is asking about. Before Mulder can answer, Scully quickly says, "Nothing." Knowing his partner will talk when she is ready, Mulder puts the car in drive and they head away from the prison. Five minutes later, Scully realizes she and Mulder are not heading toward the Bureau. Quick to point out the realization, Scully is shocked when her partner answers, "We're picking up Chloe. Besides, I need to have them update who can take her out of school."

As the FBI agents walk up the steps of Chloe's elementary school, Scully whispers as they walk through the halls, "Why are you putting me on this list?" Smirking, Mulder says, "I'm shocked you would be hesitant to pick up my daughter in any unforeseen circumstance."

"You know what I mean," Scully states when the adults walk into the school's office. He simply decides for her. The one thing that bothers her most about her partner is his constant take. However, because the adults are in a public setting, she cannot easily pick a fight with the man. Seeing the glare on his partner's face, Mulder explains the situation.

"Rachel and Adam, Anna's parents are expecting and I know they can't drop everything to help Chloe when they have two kids to think about. You've picked her up before," He answers. Knowing the answer is fair, Scully agrees and lets Mulder update his daughter's sign out sheet before leading her back to their parked car.

"Does Chloe know you're picking her up?" Scully questions as they stand beside the vehicle.

"Someone in the office will tell her teacher," Mulder replies just as the bell rings. The adults watch as a stream of children rush out of the school and head to their respective parent. Chloe, seeing her father rushes toward him and hugs him as best she can with her cast on. Seeing Scully, Chloe easily hugs her and asks, "Do you feel better?" Scully gives the girl a weak smile before answering, "A little."

"Good! Dad, I have to tell you what happened today!" Chloe states as she climbs into the back seat of the vehicle. The adults let the girl prattle on until they reach the Bureau. The child knows the drill by heart now and simply waits for the metal detector to check her before retrieving her back pack and heading toward her father's office.

"Why can't we go home?" Chloe whines in the middle of her homework an hour later. Mulder looks up at her, "Because Scully and I have reports to write. Back to your homework."

"I don't understand it," The girl complains as she sits at the chair next to Mulder's desk. Looking at his daughter's work, Mulder realizes his daughter's homework involves science he is not too sure about.

"Scully!" The man shouts instead. The red head, her glasses still on, comes into the room.

"Yes, Mulder?" She questions, her hands on her hips. Sheepishly, her partner states, "Chloe needs help with her science homework." As if cementing the fact, Chloe says, "I don't understand it. Our teacher tried to explain it, but I'm still confused." Scully kneels on the floor next to the girl and helps explain what the child's teacher went over in class. Mulder watches the pair interact. When he sees his daughter is finally understanding the concepts she has to learn, Mulder catches Scully's eye and mouths an inaudible, "Thanks." She simply smiles back at her partner before turning back to Chloe. After helping the child with a few more answers on her homework, Scully retreats to the back of the office to finish her work. Finally, Chloe finishes the last of her work before happily pulling out the second book in the Nancy Drew series and finds a spot on the floor to read. Once engrossed in her book, Chloe tunes out the world until she hears her father call his partner over to question his wording on a particular account. The child watches the adults interact as she pretends to read. Scully leans over the man slightly, her right hand holding on to the back of Mulder's chair while her left hand is supported by the man's desk much like the opening credits of Scooby Doo when the gang is in someone's study as they look for clues. The child watches the pair banter for a minute longer before Scully shakes her head.

"I don't know, Mulder," She says sitting on the edge of her partner's desk before continuing, "He sang the song 'Beyond the Sea'. That song he never sang unless it was with my mother or he was in a good mood. How could he-"

"I don't think that he's what he says, Scully," The man states stroking her hand lightly with his index finger. An act which does not go unnoticed by his daughter. Unaware of the child, Mulder speaks again.

"Why don't you head home?" He questions knowing the case has gotten the best of his partner. Scully looks toward the door and then at the other two people in the room. She reluctantly agrees before saying, "Don't stay too late Mulder."

After saying her good nights and hugging Chloe good- bye, Scully grabs her bag and leaves the office. Once the door closes, Chloe sits up. Placing her book to the side, the child walks toward the other chair at her father's desk and sits.

"Dad?" She asks hoping her father will look up from his work. After getting his attention once more, Chloe is able to stare at her father seriously.

"Do you like Scully?" She questions. Taken aback, Mulder saves his work before giving his daughter his undivided attention. Trying to make sense of his daughter's question, he asks, "Why do you say that?"

"The way you treat her. You always open the door for her and you settle your hand on her back when you walk into a building," Chloe supplies. Mulder quietly questions when his daughter has become so perceptive. Knowing he will not get away with lying to his daughter, Mulder answers, "I treat her with respect Chloe. That's what gentlemen do."

"You didn't treat Diana with respect before you got divorced," The child states proud of her interrogation techniques. Mulder has a terrible thought of his daughter leading a meeting or interrogation in the future and shudders.

"That was different," Mulder states before changing the subject to what they will eat for dinner that night. Once their decision is made, Mulder ushers his daughter out of his office, turns the light out and heads to the restaurant she has chosen. While the father and daughter eat, the girl explains what she did that day and how Anna told her that she's going to have a brother or sister. Mulder tries to act surprised even though Anna's parents have already talked to him about the situation.

"I actually need to talk to you about Anna and her family," Mulder says as his daughter looks at him after taking a sip of her beverage the waiter has just refilled. He looks at his daughter before asking, "Do you mind if I put Scully on the list of people to pick you up?" Chloe smiles at her father's words.

"Really?" The young girl asks excitedly. Mulder nods at the question before the child asks, "Does that mean I get to go to Scully's house too?" At his daughter's next question, Mulder smiles as he responds, "Maybe. It'd all depend on Scully though and what is going on at the time."

"Will she pick me up often?" The child questions unsure how Scully picking her up has any relevance to Anna.

"It depends. When Anna's parents have their new baby, they'll be busier than they were. So, if they can't make it, Scully may have to pick you up," Mulder answers just as their bill arrives. Chloe mulls over her father's words and asks, "Will I still get to see Anna?"

"Yes, Chloe. You'll still get to see her," Mulder answers as he pays for his meal and has Chloe put her coat on so they will be ready to leave.

Once at home, Mulder sees his daughter off to bed before watching television. Finally, turning off his television and walking to his bed, the agent gains some much needed sleep.

As the week drags on, Mulder and Scully finally close their case, leaving both agents exhausted and Chloe having to sit in her father's office again as the adults work on their case reports.

"Can we go home now?" Chloe questions losing interest in her book. Mulder looks up at his daughter and tells her to pack her things to leave. As the father and daughter leave, Mulder looks at his partner.

"You staying here?" He questions. Scully looks up at her partner and nods before going back to her report. Half an hour after her partner and his daughter leave, Scully sighs putting her head in her hands. She knows she will be unable to write any more to her report tonight. Standing slowly from her chair, the red head gathers her belongings before leaving the office. As she starts her car, she mindlessly turns the radio on. The music numbs her mind as she drives, but the agent is still unable to get the case to leave her head. The last straw comes when "Beyond the Sea" plays. Unable to be a responsible driver, Scully drives to the closest place she can seek comfort. Unaware of her actions, Scully finds herself standing in front of her partner's apartment twenty minutes later.

"Scully?" A confused Mulder says when he opens his door. A very weak smile appears on the woman's face as she mumbles, "Hi, Mulder."

"What's wrong?" He asks her as he lets the woman inside. Scully shrugs her shoulders as she walks into the first room of the man's flat. He looks at the woman before him as she stares into his eyes imploringly.

"I heard the song my dad liked as I was going home. I-" The woman's voice cracks as a single tear falls down her face.

"Hey," The dark haired man says as he wipes the tear away with his thumb. Scully smiles smally against his touch. Regaining her composure, the woman stands straighter and says, "I'm sorry to put this on you, Mulder. I'm going to go." Her partner gives her a silent nod. Placing a hand reassuringly at his partner's shoulder blades, he is about to see the woman out the door, when he hears his daughter come in the room announcing her presence with a soft, "Scully?" Both agents know she has seen them. They turn as the girl eyes the pair suspiciously. She has recently put her pajamas on after taking a bath and her hair is wet hanging down her back.

"Hi, Chloe," Scully states softly. The adults wonder what the child is thinking, the inquisitive look the girl possesses becoming almost invasive. Mulder is about to briefly explain the red head's presence when Scully reaches out a hand letting the child know she can hug her. A smile gracing the child's lips, Chloe instantly embraces the woman in a hug as best she can with her left arm in a cast. Mulder, knowing the temperature outside, reluctantly decides to break the moment by saying, "Dry your hair Chloe. You have school in the morning." The child looks at her father pleadingly when Scully whispers, "Why don't I dry your hair and then braid it for you?"

Shocked by his friend's words, Mulder gives a soft smile to his partner which is returned before the females head off to the bathroom. As Scully dries and brushes the girl's hair, Chloe sits contentedly.

"Tell me if I hurt your head, okay?" Scully says as she brushes another part of the child's wavy, dark brown hair. Done drying the girl's hair, Scully puts the hair dryer to the side asking the child to get her a pony tail holder. Darting from the room, Chloe comes back a minute later with the aforementioned object. Instructing the child to sit down, Scully questions what kind of braid the child wants as the woman brushes through the girl's hair one more time. After a moment of consideration, Chloe answers, "Can you french braid?" The woman answers in the affirmative as she begins to section the girl's hair. Starting at the crown of the child's head, Scully starts the braid.

"Did your mom do this to your hair when you were my age?" Chloe questions as Scully tightens the braid on the girl's head. Smiling at the memory of her and her mother, Scully answers, "She did. Sometimes my sister would braid my hair too. We'd take turns braiding each other's hair every now and then. Melissa and I. Not my mom," The woman corrects. Silence continues for a few more seconds until Chloe asks, "Melissa's your sister?"

"Mmhm. Hold your head still for me, please. Do you want to learn so you can do it yourself sometime?" Scully questions coming nearer the end of the braid. Chloe contains her excitement until her father's partner has secured the child's hair.

"Could you? Could you teach Dad too? He's not very good at doing hair. I usually get one of my friend's to braid my hair at recess," The child explains. The red head smiles down at the hazel eyed girl.

"I can. If your dad wants, I can teach him too. Right now though, you need to get to bed," Scully answers lightly. Leading the child out of the bathroom, Scully sees Mulder exit his room clad in a T-shirt and pajama pants as he goes to tuck his daughter in. Chloe looks at her dad happily as she shows him Scully's braiding skills. The man smiles at his daughter as he playfully tells her he can braid just as well. The girl raises her eyebrow at her father before he tells her to tell him good night. One quick hug from both agents and Chloe climbs into her bed and buries herself beneath her covers. A quick kiss on the forehead from her father and a couple good- nights later, Mulder exits his daughter's room with Scully close behind turning off the light. The agents head back into the main part of the man's apartment before speaking again.

"Thank- you for doing that for her, Scully," Mulder says touched that his partner would willingly put away her sadness to spend time with his daughter. Scully shakes her head.

"I can't say my braiding Chloe's hair was purely for unselfish reasons. Besides, I figured it would be easier than you fighting with her."

"Are you sure you don't have any secret children I'm not aware of?" The brunet jokes causing a smile to form on his partner's face.

"I'm sure," The female jokes back before stating seriously, "I should go. I know you need to wake up early tomorrow, and I have work to finish."

Mulder lets his partner walk toward the door before they both exchange quick, verbal good- byes. Locking the door behind his partner, Mulder checks on his daughter one more time before heading to bed himself.

**Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know, it's been a good while since I've updated. Thanks for your support though! I was having a hard time figuring out where to take the story. Starting next week, my updates are probably going to be ridiculously sporadic. I'm starting back to school and, well, we all know how that goes. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****_Operation_****, ****_Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_****, or McDonalds. Any typos or grammatical errors are mine.**

**Enjoy!**

The next few weeks turn out to be hectic for not only Mulder and Scully, but also Chloe. Her dad is given a case a week before she has to get her cast off and the child has no idea when the agents will be back; meaning, the child has to stay with Anna for the next few days. Thankfully, Chloe finds out from her friend's parents that her father is gone mostly that weekend, but she has come to expect seeing Scully around. Two times so far, Scully has picked the third grader up from school. This weekend she is supposed to stay at Scully's, but her dad's case takes precedence. She loves staying with her friend, but is bummed she cannot spend more quality time with her dad's partner.

As the nine year old eats with her friend and her friend's family, Chloe's mind wanders to what her life would be like if her father and Scully ever got married. Part of her pictures them much like the trio acts when Scully stays for dinner. The three joke and banter, her dad asks her about school. The girl's life is closer to her friends' and she likes the idea of normalcy. As the girl day dreams, she is unaware of Rachel, Anna's mom, asking her a question. Finally looking up, Chloe hears Rachel ask if the child wants to see a new movie coming out. At the mention of the movie the child has seen previews for, Chloe nods her head eagerly. Taking a few more bites of her food, Chloe is soon dragged to her friend's room where the girls quickly shut the door.

"You don't seem happy to be here," Anna states as she and her friend sit on the floor of her bedroom. Chloe looks quizzically at her friend. Knowing Anna has a way of getting her to talk, Chloe decides to simply tell her friend what she and Scully had planned for the weekend.

"Dad's job had to ruin everything," Chloe mumbles as she traces patterns into her friend's bedroom carpet. Anna takes in her friend's words before asking if her friend wants to play a board game. Chloe decides on _Operation_ and the girls begin to extract various objects from the cartoon on the plastic board.

"Is your dad dating Scully yet?" Anna questions as she waits her turn to retreive an object. Chloe sighs, putting down the metal tweezers as she says, "No."

"I thought you-" The chestnut haired girl starts as Chloe tells her friend of the past few months. Upset, both girls sit quietly until Anna's eyes light up and asks, "Did your dad and Scully go together for work?" Chloe nods as she sees a grin come across her friend's face.

"You should call them and ask to speak to Scully," Anna proposes. Unsure of her friend's scheme, Chloe questions the other girl.

"Why would speaking to Scully help? I don't think she likes Dad like that. Besides, I don't have good reason to talk to Scully," Chloe states coming close to giving up on her father's love life. Anna rolls her eyes at her friend.

"You can say good- night to your dad like normal and then ask to tell Scully good- night. Then make something up about spending time with both of them," Anna supplies. Smiling at her friend's idea, Chloe agrees. Ten minutes later, however, Chloe is upset to find neither her father nor his partner are answering their phones. Trying again a few hours later, Chloe finally gets a hold of one of the agents.

"Chloe, is something wrong?" Scully asks from her place in the car outside the Amish village she was nearly attacked at. When no answer comes, Scully questions the girl again.

"I was just calling to say good- night to Dad," The child answers. Scully smiles at the response. Hearing the driver's side door open, the woman turns her head to see Mulder hand her a cup he tells her is hot chocolate before questioning who she is talking to. When Mulder finds out his daughter is on the phone, Mulder asks for his partner's cell.

"Hey, Chloe, your dad just got here and wants to talk to you, okay?" Scully asks before handing her phone to her partner and taking a sip of the beverage she has recently gained.

"Hey, kiddo," Mulder says into his phone. He smiles when his daughter answers. Scully drinks the hot liquid as she tries to listen to most of her partner's conversation in order to drown out her near death experience in Amish country. A few minutes later, Mulder shuts his phone and turns to Scully.

"I'm sorry I dragged us out here. I shouldn't 've put put this case over yours and Chloe's weekend," Mulder states as he leans his head on the head rest. Scully smiles at her partner and lightly touches the man's arm as she says, "It's fine Mulder. It's really the Bureau's fault anyway. We talked about it. Chloe and I are going to spend my next free weekend together." Mulder is about to respond again when the agents spy their suspect in the street. An hour and a half later, Scully and Mulder finish their case and head back to their car. Neither is looking forward to the drive home, but Mulder insists he wants to be able to pick his daughter up after her movie the next day. Nodding, Scully says, "Alright, Mulder." The male agent grins until he is told to sit in the passenger seat. Giving his partner a questioning look, Scully answers explaining, "If you want to deal with Chloe tomorrow, you'll need sleep. I'm driving."

Deciding not to argue, Mulder complies and opens the driver's side door for his partner before settling himself in the passenger side, reclining the seat, and closing his eyes. The man does not wake until hours later at the sound of a honking horn. Opening one eye, Mulder asks,"What time is it?"

"Seven thirty," Scully says upset. Opening both his eyes now, Mulder sits up a little before asking, "Everything okay, Scully?"

The woman crosses her arms and huffs, leaning back in her seat.

"We've been stuck in traffic for half an hour Mulder. I don't see you getting back in time to see Chloe after her movie," She states knowing the pair still has over a few hours left. Mulder surveys the traffic for a moment before asking if he can drive. His partner eyes him curiously answering, "You've only slept for two hours, Mulder. You can't possibly want to drive." Mulder simply laughs as he says, "You underestimate my insomnia." Rolling her eyes, Scully agrees that they can switch places at the nearest rest stop.

"A rest stop won't come up for another ten miles. Besides, we're near the shoulder and traffic is stalled."

"What do you propose we do then, Mulder?" Scully asks, her voice testy. Mulder smiles at her before stating they can simply get out of the car and switch places. Looking around, Scully sees the traffic still at a standstill before she finally agrees. Just as the adults are about to trade places, a motorcycle makes it's way between Scully and the culvert in the middle of the intersection effectively causing the woman to slam her door shut. Raising an eyebrow at her partner, she says, "We'll wait." Mulder responds to his partner's words with a pout his partner simply scoffs at.

"But, Scully, I want to drive now," The male complains as he rephrases Verunca Salt's words from _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_ with an equally terrible accent. Scully cringes at the way he drawls out the word now.

"Like you can do a better British accent," Mulder quips from his seat. Scully turns her head toward him while a look of disbelief crosses her face before reminding him about her mimicking Pheobe. Fed up with talking, the adults stay silent while staring at the unmoving traffic. After a few minutes of silence, Scully says, "I'm going to take a nap. Tell me when we can move." Still upset he cannot drive yet, Mulder simply grunts in response as he rests his head against the head rest and closes his own eyes. Both adults are awoken later by a tap on the window of their car. Seeing a middle aged man outside her window, Scully nearly screams, but instinctively reaches out for her partner's arm instead causing the other agent to wake from his sleep equally startled. Just as the male agent focuses on the scene to the side of him, Scully rolls down the window of the vehicle as the older man in front of her says, "Traffic's easing up. You may wanna start your car now." With a silent nod, Scully starts the car just as the vehicle in front of her begins to inch forward. The pair is silent for a few miles until Mulder says, "Can we stop at the nearest rest area?"

"Yeah. We could probably use some food too," She responds seeing a road sign advertising a McDonald's up ahead. Half an hour later, Mulder and Scully are back in the vehicle, but with Mulder in the driver's seat.

"Did Chloe tell you what time her movie ends?" Scully asks as she takes a sip of her tea. The man shakes his head as he responds, "I called Rachel while we were in McDonald's and Adam said he was taking them around noon. We should be able to clean ourselves up before picking her up." Catching his use of the plural, but unsure what to make of the possible word slip, Scully says hesitantly, "We?" Her partner looks over at her as he says, "Chloe asked, last night, if you would be there when I picked her up. She really likes you, Dana."

A smile makes it's way to the woman's lips as she says, "I really like Chloe too." Mulder smiles his signature smile as he says, "It's settled then. You're picking her up with me."

As stated by her partner six hours earlier, Scully, now clad in jeans and a white shirt, sits with Mulder in his car as the pair waits to pick Chloe up. Seeing the time is closer to two, Mulder exits the car. When he sees Scully is not following his lead, Mulder asks, "You coming inside?" His partner shakes her head.

"No, Mulder. I'll let you get her," The woman answers hoping her tone does not imply an indication that the woman does not want to be there. She does, but feels Mulder should have time with only Chloe before Scully joins the father and daughter. Mulder simply shakes his head at his partner as he insists she come inside with him. After a minute of persuading, Scully exits the vehicle before shutting the car door and following her partner inside. Inside the movie theater, Scully and Mulder discuss the various movies coming out as they wait for his daughter. Seeing Anna's father, Mulder puts a hand in the air to show where he is. Spotting the man's hand and the woman who stands beside the man, Chloe tears off to hug them.

"Daddy!" She exclaims hugging him excitedly. Mulder hugs his daughter back as he looks at Adam and Anna who have come to greet the agents.

"Hey, Adam. Thanks for taking her," Mulder greets shaking hands with the other male figure. Adam shrugs as he replies, "No problem. We'll take her as long as we can before the baby gets here. Rachel's words not mine." Mulder laughs at the man's phrasing before introducing Scully who shakes Adam's hand.

"Nice to finally meet the woman Chloe's been talking so highly about," Adam says as he keeps an eye on his daughter in his peripheral vision. Scully simply smiles at the comment before the adults launch into a brief discussion pertaining to Mulder and Scully's case and then circling back to the men's daughters.

"It was great seeing you again, Mulder. Nice meeting you Dana," Adam says ending the conversation as he calls Anna to him. Mulder calls Chloe toward him before the group leaves the theater.

"Did you catch the guy, Dad?" Chloe asks as she walks to the car with her father beside her. Scully smiles at the pair as she walks behind them.

"We got him, Chloe. Did you have fun with Anna?" Mulder questions opening the car door for his daughter before doing the same for Scully who gracefully slides into her seat as Mulder shuts the woman's car door.

"Yep! I missed you guys though," The child responds before asking, "What was your case about this time?"

The adults exchange glances before Scully tactfully describes the case in a child friendly manner. Mulder gives his partner a small smile in gratitude at the woman's explanation before looking in the rear view mirror at his daughter.

"How does pizza sound for dinner?" He questions. Chloe's face lights up as she poses her own question.

"Pepperoni?" The girl asks hopefully. Her excitement growing, the nine year old asks, "Can Scully eat with us?" Mulder smiles as he answers, "That's up to her, kid. Why don't you ask her." Chloe happily asks the question to her father's partner who turns in her seat to face the nine year old as she answers, "Sure."

Happily, Mulder's daughter sits back in her seat a grin spreading across her face. Her and Anna's plan has worked and the child cannot be any happier. Half an hour later, the tiny family along with Scully, await the pizza's arrival. Deciding his daughter can start on her untouched homework while they wait, Chloe pouts as she retrieves her backpack and heads to the dining table. Scully walks into the kitchen where Mulder is grabbing cups.

"Need me to do anything?" Scully questions from the doorway. Mulder shakes his head as he places the cups near the paper plates he has lazily decided to use. The man watches as his partner nods silently as her eyes look away from him. Keeping his voice low so he will not distract his daughter's work, Mulder asks, "Are you okay?" A wan smile is the response Scully gives as she says coolly, "I'm fine."

Not wanting to start an argument or bring up any specifics of their case while his daughter is in the other room, Mulder lets Scully's comment slide. The silence encompasses the small kitchen until Chloe asks for help on her work. Rejecting Mulder's help, Chloe asks for Scully leaving her father to piece together causes for his partner's behavior. The woman's distance continues after dinner as well when Scully purposefully sits on the couch, putting Chloe in the middle of her father and his coworker. Noticing their lack of communication, Chloe begins a game of Twenty Questions hoping the adults will open up. Unable to get straight answers from either her father or Scully, Chloe decides to watch the movie she has begged her father to let her watch tonight. Half an hour later, Scully bids her leave, much to the unhappiness of the nine year old.

"Do you have to go now? You don't have to work tomorrow," The child states trying to keep the red head at the apartment. Scully smiles at her partner's daughter.

"I need to sleep," Scully answers with a small yawn, "I've been up for over twenty- four hours. Your father fell asleep twenty minutes ago." Chloe looks at her dad whose body is limp on the couch and only signs of conscientiousness are his shallow breathing and slight snoring.

"You could take Dad's bed. He usually sleeps on the couch anyway," Chloe innocently responds. Scully smiles at the girl's thoughtfulness. Though the woman wants nothing more than to stay the night, she knows she needs to go home and deal with her inner turmoil by herself. Telling Mulder's daughter to get ready for bed, Scully smooths back her partner's hair to wake him up.

"Mulder, " She says quietly. The man stirs and opens his eyes with a slightly disoriented, "Scully?" The woman smiles briefly before telling him Chloe is getting ready for bed if he wants to tell her good- night.

"Yeah, yeah," Mulder says sitting up. Before standing he says, "Sorry to let you be the bad guy and direct the bed time routine."

"She was fine about it," Scully answers as her partner stands up. After a beat of silence, she adds, "She almost had me stay here tonight."

"We wouldn't mind. You could take my bed. I sleep on the couch most nights anyway," Mulder answers as the agents listen to the bathroom faucet tap being turned off.

"Chloe said the same thing," Scully states before shaking her head adding, "I really should go though. I need time to register the case. I'll see you on Monday?" Mulder nods as he leads his partner to the door.

"If you need anything Scul, you call, okay?" He asks. His partner nods, a ghost of a smile gracing her features as she tries not to reflect too much on Mulder initiating both concerned friend and Dad mode in one sentence.

"Okay," She answers before heading out the door after exchanging good- nights.

Finally over the weekend's events, Scully walks into the office Monday morning to find her partner sitting in his desk chair with his feet propped up on his desk.

"You never called Scully," Mulder states as he removes his feet from their current location.

"Good morning to you too, Mulder," Scully responds as she puts her coat on the back of her seat waiting for the inevitable lecture from her partner.

"I was worried the rest of the weekend," Mulder begins. Icily Scully replies, "I had no idea you were concerned about my welfare Mulder." The partners stare each other down until Mulder says, "You're my partner, I had a rite to be worried." Scully raises an eyebrow at the man's words and with a scoff rebuts, "Last time I checked, the FBI assigns partners to have a second person with them when they need it, not to act as their father." The look on the man's face once Scully finishes makes her instantly regret speaking. His face almost resembles defeat, but has an angry glare hiding underneath. The female agent instantly chastises herself. Mulder is simply trying to express his feelings through words and Scully has to once again assume a defensive stance and shut out personal contact. Another moment of silence passes until Scully watches Mulder silently exit the office. Knowing he needs to cool off, Mulder decides to ignore his partner calling his name as he walks down the hallway. The male agent will come back when he is ready, but at the moment, he figures the fresh air will do him well.

Half an our later, a distraught Scully looks up from her paperwork once she hears the shuffle of feet enter the office. A calmer version of her partner stands in the doorway in contrast to the one who walked away from her. Standing from her partner's seat, which she has aquired in his absence, Scully says, "I'm sorry, Mulder. I crossed a line. I never should have-"

"Let's just forget about it, okay?" Mulder asks serenely, effectively ending his partner's apology. Scully nods but does not look at her partner. Her eyes only look at his once he says, "Chloe kept asking why you were upset Saturday. When you didn't call, I felt bad I couldn't give her a definitive answer."

"I forget kids pick up on things like that," Scully remarks coming out from behind her partner's desk. Mulder smirks as he says, "So do I. You are okay, though. Right?" Scully nods.

"As good as I can be, considering," She replies knowing their fight may be one in a long list of many. Mulder smiles at her before reclaiming his desk.

"Good," He answers as the duo resumes their regular office routine.

Later in the week, Chloe enters Mulder's office with an excited, "Scully!" Not seeing the woman anywhere, Chloe listens and hears the red head's voice coming from autopsy. Walking toward the entrance, the nine year old stops in the doorway to see Scully cut through the deceased's rib cage. Hearing the sound of the bone spreader, the dark haired girl says, "That sounds like what they used to get my cast off."

Slightly startled by the child's presence, Scully quickly lays down her instrument and faces Chloe and smiles. Taking off her gloves and throwing the latex into a nearby trash can, Scully walks toward the girl and enquirers about the child's cast being taken off. Animatedly, Chloe tells of the doctor cutting her cast off as the female agent expertly guides the child back to Mulder's office where he waits for the pair. The adults exchange small smiles as Chloe continues her story.

"You could have told me you were coming. I'm hoping I didn't scar her for life," Scully says to her partner as Chloe works on her homework. Mulder raises an eyebrow at his partner before saying, "I did, but you didn't pick up. Besides, Chloe wanted to surprise you."

"She didn't disappoint," The female murmurs as the adults sit in silence for a moment. Boyish curiosity taking over the dark haired man, Mulder asks, "Who you cuttin' up anyway?" Scully rolls her eyes at the man before explaining the autopsy was for a friend. Feigning disgust Mulder asks, "What kind of friends do you have?" Suppressing a smirk, Scully says, "That sounded like something Chloe would say. But, to answer your question, I have other friends at the FBI who were in need of a good medical doctor and a second opinion."

Raising an eyebrow at his partner, Mulder decides not to push the statement. Instead, he says, "We don't have a case this weekend, if you still want to reschedule your getting to have a girl's night with Chloe." He watches a faint smile appear on his partner's normally stoic face. Scully looks over at her partner's daughter and back at her partner before saying, "I'll ask her after I finish this autopsy." A few minutes later, Mulder watches his partner walk away. Turning back toward his desk, the male agent sees his daughter eyeing her father with a smug look on her face. Knowing his daughter is about to make a remark about the man somehow liking his friend, the fatherly side of Mulder prompts him to tell his daughter to do her homework. An hour and a half later, once Mulder has finished his paperwork and Chloe her homework, the male agent has his daughter pack her books into her backpack before making his way to autopsy. He watches for a minute as his partner works before interrupting her.

"Hey, Scully. Chloe and I are heading out. Don't stay here too late. Wouldn't want you to miss out on your beauty rest," Mulder quips. Scully turns to look at her partner and shakes her head.

"I was just about to sew him back up. I'll be out of here in the next hour, don't worry. Take Chloe home," She states lightly upset she is unable to ask Chloe about spending the weekend with her. The partners exchange good-nights with a yelled good-bye from Chloe in the other room before Scully begins the last process of the autopsy and heads home for the night.

Taking her shoes off once she shuts her apartment door, Scully eagerly heads to her bathroom to draw a bath and soak in the hot water. After putting her hair in a clip, the tired agent, but for today, medical examiner, steps into her bathtub and sinks into the hot liquid that will soon engulf her small frame. Taking time to finally relax for the day, Dana closes her eyes and basks in the silence of her apartment. She is unaware of the amount of time she spends slipping to and from sleep when she hears the ring of her telephone. With a sigh, the female quickly grabs her towel and effectively covers herself before dashing toward her living room. Skillfully taking the phone from the cradle, Scully answers her telephone on the third ring.

"Hello?" The woman questions as she wraps her towel tighter around her body.

"Hi, Scully," A cheerful voice chirps on the other end. Scully smiles recognizing Chloe as the caller. The red head's smile widens as she hears Chloe tell her father, "I told you she'd pick up. He though you weren't going to pick up," Chloe states directing the last statement to her father's partner.

"I'm glad I did. What do I owe this call to?"

"I just wanted to say good- night," The child remarks. Touched by the youngest Mulder's generosity, Scully says, "Thank- you sweetie." Hearing Mulder tell the child to start wrapping her conversation up, Scully says, "Before you go to bed, I have a question for you." Knowing the girl is most likely all ears, Scully asks, "How do you feel about you and I having a girl's weekend this weekend?" The woman holds the phone away from her ear when the child starts to talk excitedly.

"Chloe, Chloe, Chlo!" Scully yells at varying tones effectively silencing the child before saying, "We'll talk about it when you get back from school tomorrow. For tonight, you need to listen to your dad and go to bed."

"Okay," Chloe answers, slowly sobering from her excitement. The child tells the motherly figure good- night, to which Scully replies in kind before a shuffle on the other end lets her hear the deeper voice of her partner.

"I don't know how I'm going to get her to sleep now," Mulder says feigning exasperation. Scully smirks as she answers, "Tell her a story about a time you did paperwork."

"Funny, Scully, but I'd probably give her ideas about what not to do at school instead," Mulder states, "But, thanks for the advice." Silence permeates the conversation for a moment until a chuckle causes Scully to ask, "What's so funny, Mulder?"

"Chloe asked me to braid her hair the other night. I think she ended up getting her braid redone at school, because I picked her up and she had a perfect single braid down her back. You may need to teach me or else I'll have to let you live with us. Unless you don't mind sharing a bed, I don't see that happening."

"I don't either. Who knows Mulder, maybe I can teach you when we're on a stakeout our next case," The female quips earning a a sarcastic thank- you from her partner. The pair talks a few minutes longer until Mulder says his good- night and leaves Scully to put her phone back in it's cradle.

The next afternoon, Scully walks into the office after a meeting to see her partner frustratingly try to describe a math problem to his daughter. Seeing his partner, Mulder quickly asks Scully to help. Anger begins to well up in the female agent, not because she has to help Chloe, but because her partner is taking her for granted again. However, seeing her partner's aggravation, Scully sits beside the nine year old and explains the problem Chloe is working on. Ten minutes later, the child is able to focus on the rest of her homework leaving Scully to her paperwork. As she heads to retrieve the file she has left at her autopsy table, the woman is stopped by her partner.

"Thanks," Mulder says. Scully gives him a smile that does not reach her eyes. Realizing his partner is upset, Mulder decides to follow her. Knowing her partner is behind her, Scully turns once they enter autopsy angrily facing the brunet.

"Yes?" She questions tersely. Confused, Mulder asks, "You okay, Scully?"

"Fine," She responds keeping eye contact with the man. A few seconds pass by until Mulder realizes his blunder and asks, "What did I do?"

"What did you do? Mulder, you took me for granted again! When you signed me up to be Chloe's other pick- up option for school, I tried not be angry. You explained everything, and I understood. But, when you expect me to simply help you when you tell me to, as if I am your assistant or side kick," The woman stops to take a breath before continuing, "I feel like your taking advantage of our partnership. If that is even what this is." Scully states. Not letting her partner speak, the female agent grabs her file and walks out of autopsy as well as Mulder's office.

When the woman does not return for close to an hour, Mulder begins to worry. He has never seen his partner this upset. The agent has seen his partner scared and sad, but never seething. Seeing her father's worry, Chloe sits near her father and asks, "Why was Scully so angry?" Mulder opens his mouth to answer but no words come. Finally coming up with an explanation, Mulder truthfully answers, "It was my fault and it's between us, so don't worry about it." Still unsatisfied, Chloe begins to ask her father more questions. Mulder tries to explain everything as best he can while not telling his daughter his and Scully's conversation when his partner walks back into the office. Scully places a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder as she says, "Everything's fine now, Chloe. I think it's time to stop questioning your father to death." Chloe turns and hugs the woman with an incredible amount of force. The woman hugs the child back as she watches Mulder smile apologetically as well as in thanks. She mouths that all is forgiven before asking Chloe what she wants to do at the adult's apartment over the weekend.

**Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay! An update! I've finally given you a new chapter! Side note: Did you know when you upload X-files stories and correct any spelling mistakes, that Scully is considered incorrect? Come on fanfiction, get with the program! Also, writer's block, to quote _Anastasia's _Bartak, "It's a killer, sir!"**

**Disclaimer: Anything used by Chris Carter in the actual show is NOT mine. Neither is _The Goonies_. **

**Anyway, here's Scully and Chloe's Girls Weekend!**

**Enjoy!**

Friday finally comes and the youngest Mulder cannot be any happier. She and Scully have planned their whole weekend starting with Scully picking her up from school. When the bell rings, the nine year old rushes to where her dad's partner is parked and greets her with a bone crushing hug.

"It's nice to see you too, Squirt!" Scully responds to the child's hug. Chloe raises her eyebrow at the woman saying, "You have spent too much time with Dad."

Scully laughs at the girl's remark before telling the child they should start on their weekend. Eagerly, Chloe puts her backpack in the back seat of the car before climbing in beside the bag.

"How was school?" Scully asks from the driver's seat as she maneuvers out of the elementary school parking lot.

"School," The child answers breezily responding, "How was work?"

"Fine," Scully states knowing the child has no interest in either subject. Instead, Scully prompts Chloe to talk about their weekend, which namely consists of Scully teaching Chloe how to braid hair. Finding Chloe has brought two dolls from home to practice braiding hair on, Scully asks, "What do you want for dinner?" Thinking for a few minutes, Chloe answers, "Pizza." Wondering how the nine year old could have pizza two weekends in a row, Scully simply drives to the nearest pizza place and picks up a medium pizza and a two liter of soda before heading to her apartment with an excited Chloe in tow. Once at her apartment, Scully and Chloe place their food on the coffee table before popping a video in the VCR.

"What are we watching?" Chloe asks when the movie begins.

"_The Goonies_," Scully replies having seen the movie with one of her friend's child a while ago and secretly buying a copy for herself later. As the movie plays, the girls finish all the pizza they can handle and soon start into the ice cream Scully has in her freezer. Toward the end of the film, the child turns toward the red head beside her.

"Scully, I need to ask you something," Chloe says taking another spoonful of her ice cream. Swallowing her own spoonful of the treat, Scully asks, "What is it?"

"Does Dad annoy you?" The girl questions. The woman mulls over the child's question before answering, "Sometimes. Just about as much as your friend would annoy you at school sometimes. Why?"

The child sits still as she mentally phrases her response. Taking a deep breath, Chloe explains, "Well, the other day when you were talking to Dad, you simply left the room and didn't come back for a while. I only do that when I'm angry." The red head laughs remembering Mulder employing the same trick on her earlier in the week.

"I was angry," Scully responds slowly, "But, sometimes, cooling off helps someone think better after an argument. Your dad and I are fine now," The woman ensures. Chloe smiles as she says, "Good. I don't want you to leave us. Dad's not gone as much with you around." Wondering how often Chloe has been left in the care of Anna's family, Scully makes a mental note to ask Mulder later. Focusing on the girl in front of her, Scully asks if the child is finished with her ice cream. When the girl nods, Scully takes the one empty pint and the other half empty pint of ice cream to the kitchen. Along with the spoons, Scully deposits each item in its respective place before turning to her partner's daughter and asking if the child is ready to learn how to braid hair. Eagerly, Chloe grabs the dolls she has brought and places them on the now empty coffee table. After an hour, Chloe masters a couple different braids which she then asks if she can replicate on Scully's hair. Figuring out the best course of action, the young Mulder finally decides to create a single braid with the sides of Scully's hair ultimately tying the braids together to create a small half wreath at the back of the woman's head in a half up half down look. To Chloe's enjoyment, Scully soon braids the girl's hair in a french braid.

Deciding to employ a routine similar to the girl's at home, Scully prompts Chloe to get ready for bed while the woman turns the living room light and the radio off. Heading down her hallway, The adult finds her partner's daughter coming out of the bathroom. Seeing the woman, the child gives her a hug and bids her good night before heading to the guest room. Knowing the pair has a long day ahead, Scully heads to her bed to sleep. The next morning, Chloe watches Scully start breakfast. Having asked earlier in the week what Chloe's favorite breakfast is, the red head eagerly begins her task by taking the eggs out of her refrigerator before cracking the shell and letting the yolk fall into a bowl.

"Can I help?" Chloe questions wanting to soak up every moment of the weekend she gets to spend with her dad's partner. Receiving a positive response to her question, Chloe happily walks to the counter and takes out two slices of bread from their packaging. Standing out of the way, Scully watches the nine year old expertly soak the bread into the egg batter she has just created. A minute later, the female agent greases a frying pan and puts the metal cookware on the stove before turning the burner on and cooking the food. Ten minutes later, Scully and Chloe are dishing their breakfast onto plates. Taking their food to her table, the red head lets Chloe grab the powdered sugar from the refrigerator and the cinnamon from the counter.

Scully walks into the doors of the Smithsonian with Chloe beside her. The first display the pair sees are the airplanes which enthrall the nine year old who will not stop talking about them as they make their way through the zoo. Later in the day, eating lunch on the mall, Chloe regales the red head with her recent school day and facts that correlate to what they have seen so far. The last stop for the agent and her charge is to the space museum.

"Dad would love this!" Chloe says in awe. Scully looks down at the girl and smiles knowing the girl is correct. The woman can practically hear her partner making a conspiratorial quip.

"You should see if he'll take you. Just make sure he doesn't get too crazy with his theories," Scully voices as she unconsciously guides the child toward their final exhibit before heading home. Later in the evening as Scully cooks dinner, Chloe sits at the kitchen table practicing braiding on her doll's hair. Looking up from her work, Mulder's inquisitive daughter asks, "How long did it take you to learn to braid?"

Scully puts down the fork she is using to stir the noodles she is preparing and thoughtfully ponders the question. Looking at the nine year old, Scully answers, "I think when I was around your age."

"Cool! Did you break your arm when you were my age too?" The girl asks. The red head smiles and says, "I was a year younger than you. My brother and I were climbing trees and I fell out of one."

Chloe processes the woman's words before going back to her work. As Scully drains the pasta noodles, Chloe queries, "Was it fun having brothers and sisters? I've asked Dad, but he usually deflects the answer." Surprised, Scully asks, "Where did you learn the word deflect?"

"School," The girl nonchalantly states before repeating her earlier question. Scully smiles before positively answering the child as well as handing her a plate of spaghetti.

"Thank-you!" Chloe responds as she sets her doll to the side. In a habit of waiting for her father to sit down when she is home, Chloe waits for Scully to sit before beginning to eat her food. Once dinner is over and the dishes done, Chloe requests watching a movie while she practices braiding her doll's hair. Halfway through the film, Scully notices her charge falling asleep. Stopping the movie, Scully prompts Chloe to put her pajamas on and head to bed. After a small fuss from the nine year old, Scully is finally able to get the child off her couch and into the guest bed. Ten minutes later, Scully retires to her own room. A peel of thunder wakes the agent hours later. She is about to fall back asleep when a shadow is cast in her doorway.

"Chloe? What's wrong?" Scully questions as her eyes focus on the child before her. The woman watches the girl's lip tremble slightly before motioning the nine year old to climb into bed with her. Immediately, Chloe climbs onto Scully's bed and under the blankets. Smoothing the child's dark hair, the FBI agent hugs the girl just as another roll of thunder erupts. Seeing the child's tense reaction, Scully realizes Chloe is not the biggest fan of thunderstorms. Voicing her observation, Scully is met with Chloe nodding her head and snuggling closer to the red head. The adult and child stay silent for a moment until Chloe asks, "Will you sing something?"

"I don't sing well," The woman answers. Chloe timidly asks her father's partner to sing something anyway. Singing the first song to come to her mind, the agent starts, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog. He was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine."

When the adult stops, Chloe looks up and asks, "More?" Not wanting to ruin the calm atmosphere, Scully sings the second verse of the song. When she finishes her singing, the woman listens as Chloe says, "Thank- you. I usually don't crawl into Dad's bed, you know." The red head rolls her eyes at the girl's statement knowing the child is simply keeping up appearances.

"Why'd you crawl into my bed?" Scully asks lightly, her chin resting on the girl's head. She can see her partner's daughter slowly drifting to sleep as she asks her question, but what the woman hears Chloe answer keeps her awake close to the morning.

"You're the closest I have to a mom," Chloe mumbles drowsily before yawning and closing her eyes. A pang Scully cannot fully identify creeps up on her as she processes the child's words. She has so many questions to ask the girl, but does not want to ask for fear of the girl shutting her out. Chloe is nine and acts tough and brave, but deep down she is still a young girl who needs a maternal figure. Once the child rolls over, Scully lays on her back wondering if she is ready to be what Chloe thinks of her as. The agent loves Chloe and will do anything for her. However, the thought of being a maternal figure scares her. Fear and other emotions playing with her mind cause her to stay awake. After an hour, Scully gets out of bed, careful not to wake Chloe. Entering her living room and grabbing her phone, the woman presses seven numbers as she waits for the caller to pick up. While she waits, Scully lets her mind wander until a groggy greeting brings her back to the present.

"Chloe thinks of me as her mom," The agent simply states.

"Dana?" A confused voice asks, "What are you talking about?"

"Chloe, Mulder's daughter, thinks of me as her mom. Mom, how am I supposed to take that? What if I do something and she hates me the rest of her life? I've already been labeled Mrs. Spooky. This could just add to the work's rumor mill. I love her, but I don't think Mulder needs anymore rumors being spread about him," The red head pauses her rant as she gasps and says, "Mulder! How will he react? Does he know? Has Chloe talked to him at all? What if that's why he's been-"

"Dana, honey. Calm down," Maggie Scully says effectively ending her daughter's rant adding, "You have to remember, Chloe's never had a mother. At least, not a present one from the little you described of her actual mother. You should take a great deal of pride in what Chloe said to you. From the little I've met of her and from what you've said about her she seems like a wonderful girl. Don't pressure yourself all at once. If she thinks of you as a mother now, just continue what you've been doing. I don't think there is anything you could do to make her hate you."

Scully hears her mother yawn before asking, " Why don't we talk about this tomorrow?"

The red head sighs knowing her mother is right. Finally feeling fatigue creep through her bones, Maggie's youngest daughter says, "Yeah. Can we meet at around one? I'm taking Chloe back home around noon."

Her mother agrees before the pair says good- night. Half asleep, Scully places her phone in its cradle before succumbing to much needed sleep.

The next morning Scully awakes to Chloe calling her name as the girl walks into the living room and stands in front of the woman. Eyeing the adult suspiciously, Chloe asks, "What were you doing on the couch?" Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, Scully answers, "I made a phone call after you went to sleep and fell asleep here." Accepting her answer, Chloe sits beside the woman and inquisitively asks, "To who?"

"Whom," Scully corrects adding, "And it's none of your business."

"Was it my dad?" Chloe ribs. Rolling her eyes, Scully answers in the negative before standing, brushing a hand against Chloe's hair, and asking what the girl wants for breakfast. Curious about the red head's actions, Chloe gives a simple breakfast suggestion as she follows the woman to assess her actions closer. The dark haired child watches Scully cook for a moment before being given the chance to help. As Mulder's daughter places bread in the toaster, she asks, "Did you help your mom with breakfast growing up?" A smile crosses the woman's features as she answers, "Sometimes. Melissa usually helped more than I did. I was usually outside playing."

"What's your mom like?" The child queries as she takes the bread from the toaster and butters it. Scully pauses in her cooking. Never giving thought to the child's question, Scully says, "I was going to meet her after I took you home. If you want, I can see if she can have lunch with us before you go." The child's eyes light up at the suggestion. Scully smiles at the girl as she turns the stove burner off and places the spatula on the side of the frying pan.

"It's eight now. How about I call her before she heads to Church," Scully offers. With enthusiastic approval from the other party, the red head walks into her living room to call her mother. Fifteen minutes later, the lunch date is arranged and the adult and child walk back to the kitchen to finish preparing their breakfast. Two hours later, Scully and Chloe walk into an eatery close to Mulder's apartment to meet her mother. Seeing her mother in a booth, Scully watches the older woman wave in signal to her as the red head leads Chloe toward the woman.

"Hi, Mom," Scully says as she gives the woman a hug. The agent looks down at Chloe saying, "You remember my mom?"

Chloe nods before saying, "Hi, Mrs. Scully."

"You can call me Maggie," The woman responds as the three sit back down. Still uncharacteristically quiet when Maggie asks her why she wants to come eat with her and Scully, Chloe looks at Scully. The adult looks down at the girl and knowing the child's stubborn streak, the red head answers, "Chloe wanted to know what you are like." The older Scully smiles before turning to ask her daughter what she wants to eat. Chloe watches the women interact. Part of her wishes the pair is her actual mother and grandmother so they can eat lunch together every Sunday, but decides not to voice her thought. After her dad's last marriage, she is wary to let too many women in her life, even if Scully is her dad's work partner and the woman she views most as a mother figure. A few minutes later, the trio places their orders and the dark haired girl finally gains the courage to ask, "What was Scully like when she was my age?" Amused, Maggie is given the go ahead from her daughter before launching into stories about her daughter. Half way through another story with their empty plates cluttering the table, Maggie and Chloe hear Scully exclaim, "I was supposed to have you home half an hour ago. I'm sorry Mom, we have to go. I forgot to call Mulder and tell him we were doing this. Chloe, put your coat on please." Not used to a frantic Scully, Chloe does as she is told and catches Maggie say to her daughter, "Calm down, Dana. Everything 'll be fine."

Ten minutes later Scully and Chloe are in her car with an angry Scully trying to call her partner. A frustrated sigh from the woman prompts Chloe to reassuringly say, "He'll understand." Scully tries to school her emotions at the girl's words and purses her lips to hold back her scoff. Five minutes later, Scully is following Chloe into her apartment building as the pair walks into the elevator to get to the Mulders' floor. Standing at the apartment door, Chloe continually calls to her father in varying tones and pitches. Slightly amused at the girl's antics, Scully sobers when the door opens to reveal a relieved Mulder. Hiding his relief from his daughter, Mulder looks at the brunette and says, "Do you live here?" With a slight giggle and an eye roll she has most likely picked up from her father's partner, Chloe says, "Yes."

Making her way inside, Chloe has Scully come in too. The woman can practically feel her partner's eyes boring holes into her head. She is on edge and has no idea why. Part of her feels she has let her partner down not bringing the girl back on time. The other side of her brain keeps replaying Chloe's words from the night before. The agent's mind keeps racing with various scenarios and emotions, she begins to wonder if Mulder's theories are starting to take over her brain. Mulder can see the emotion that passes through his partner's face and is about to ask if she is okay when his daughter bounds in the entryway to begin the tales of her weekend. Interrupting his daughter, Mulder says, "Remember what we said about interrupting? Why don't you get all the things you did and show them to me in a minute."

The child starts to leave when she is reminded to thank the red head. Receiving a hug from the woman, Chloe goes to her room to unbraid one of her doll's hair to show her father how she can braid.

"You're going to have to teach how braid now," Mulder quips when he and Scully are out of earshot from his daughter. A small smile crosses her lips but does not meet her eyes. The man begins a new topic saying, "I started getting a little worried when you didn't get her right at noon."

"I'm sorry. We were eating lunch with my mom and I tried to get a hold of you-" Scully begins but is stopped when her partner shakes his head.

"As long as she had fun. You did have fun right?" The man questions when his partner begins to open her mouth after his reassuring statement. After a soft, audible, affirmative response from Scully, both adults are silent for a minute. Wanting to ask if she is okay, Mulder decides against his impulse when he sees Scully's face dead set against saying anything. Instead, Mulder asks, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I've been assigned to help an agent with a stake out tomorrow," Scully responds keeping her voice even. She has no need to think of Chloe's comment from last night. Much less, bring it up. Knowing something is bothering his partner, Mulder searches the woman's eyes as he asks, "After?" With a simple nod of her head, Scully wordlessly leaves the apartment with a terribly confused Mulder in her wake.

**Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the reviews! I had a review that mentioned being confused by Mulder's confusion in the last chapter, and I hope part of this clears everything up!**

**Disclaimer: Anything that looks like it should belong to Chris Carter, more than likely does. **

**Enjoy!**

The next day, Mulder drives his daughter to school, but does not fully listen to her rambling. Instead he replays Scully's attitude from the night before. He tries to figure out why his partner acted emotionally distant. Wondering if his daughter can help him shed light on his quandaries, Mulder asks, "Did Scully act different this weekend." Chloe thinks for a second before answering, "Not until Sunday." Processing the girl's response, Mulder decides to ask his partner what is wrong when he sees her. Finally reaching Chloe's elementary school, Mulder helps his daughter exit his car and watches as she enters the building. Climbing back into the drivers side, the agent hears his phone ring.

"Agent Skinner?" Mulder questions when he hears the voice on the other end. Thankfully, he has just left the parking lot or else he can be charged for child endangerment. Pressing further on his gas pedal, Mulder quickly makes his way to the Hoover building to obtain better access to the reports on the recent shooting at the bank Scully has been staking. The man waits for about three hours watching the news reports on the television in his office when he hears the door open. He sees her pant suit first in his peripheral vision before standing and trying to contain his need to hug her. Instead, Mulder lets his partner take lead. He watches Scully sit in her chair and sigh. The woman looks up at her partner with tired eyes before saying, "He's revived."

"He's okay though?" Mulder asks referring to Jack Willis, who is the other agent on the stakeout Scully has just been a part of.

"Yeah," The woman answers before saying, "I'm going down to the morgue to get a better look at the victim's body though."

"Do you need me to come with you?" Mulder questions seeing his partner's tired expression. The woman shakes her head telling the man he can join later, but she will be fine doing the initial findings. Mulder respects his partner's wishes and shows up at the morgue a couple hours later to question what she has. Once Scully has told everything she can since the body is gone from the morgue, Mulder offers to drive her back to headquarters. The red head declines, having driven her own car, but regrets her decision when she sees her partner an hour later.

"Jack seems different," The brunet states once the red head is back at the bureau after an outburst from Jack Willis in the squad room. Looking at the man questioningly, Scully answers, "He was practically dead, Mulder."

"He had no idea how the bureau operates," Mulder clarifies as he and Scully walk down the hallway. Hoping her partner is not turning her stake out into an X-file, Scully states, "He's in shock. He shouldn't even be here."

Her answer silences her partner for a while until he makes another statement involving a tattoo. A little perturbed, Scully makes a truce with her friend that they will not talk of Jack's near fatality in front of the man's daughter; her partner agrees, much to Scully's liking. A few days go by without a word on Jack Willis' possession until a phrase uttered by Mulder's daughter causes the red head to re-examine the brunet's obsession with his theory.

"Happy Birthday!" Chloe exclaims as she gives her father's partner a hug. Confused, Scully explains,"My birthday isn't for a while Chlo." Dropping her arms from around the woman's waist, Chloe cocks her head to the side and inquires, "Why is Dad having your friend sign a card for you then?"

"He's what?" Scully demands as she trys to keep her temper at bay.

"Dad had your friend," The child pauses until she remembers the person's name, "Jack sign your Birthday card." Leading the young girl toward the basement office, Scully's mind whirls with insults and at least an entire monologue to verbally chastise her partner with. The man is taking too much enjoyment out of proving something she believes impossible. There is no way her ex- boyfriend is possessed by the spirit of a dead man.

Once inside her partner's office, Scully watches as Chloe opens her textbook before walking over to her partner's desk. He simply smiles his prize winning, innocent smile at the woman before handing her a card saying, "Happy Birthday, Scully."

"Mulder, you know it's not my Birthday," Scully responds with an eye roll deciding against fighting with her partner in front of his daughter.

"Jack didn't. Didn't you say you both had the same Birthday?" Mulder questions standing from his chair. The red head squares her jaw, but says nothing in return. Taking her silence as confirmation, Mulder adds, "He also signed with his left hand. You said he's right handed." Instead of answering his question, Scully hisses, "We'll talk about it later, Mulder." Her partner and his daughter watch as Scully walks into autopsy before looking at each other. Putting her book to the side, Chloe states, "Anna's mom said that to her dad once and Mr. Adam ended up sleeping on the couch that night." Trying not to laugh at his daughter's statement, Mulder answers, "Lucky for you, Scully and I aren't married." Looking directly at his paperwork after his statement, he misses the upset expression in his daughter's eyes. Standing, Chloe asks her father if she may ask Scully a question. His attention now fully on his daughter, Mulder says, "Sure, if it's okay with Scully. Are you okay?" The girl nods in response before knocking on the autopsy door. Gaining admittance, Scully looks up from her paperwork to see Chloe walk over to the woman and wrap her arms tightly around the woman. Repeating the action, Scully holds the child in her arms until Chloe releases the embrace. Tucking a strand of hair behind the nine year old's ear, Scully studies the girl's features before softly asking, "What's wrong?" With a small quake in her voice, Chloe responds, "I needed a hug from you." Giving the child a reassuring smile, the red headed FBI Agent states, "I'm here if you ever need another hug, okay?" Nodding the child gives a brief smile and exits the room leaving Agent Dana Scully questioning the child's motives as well as feeling a tug at her heartstrings.

The next morning, Mulder walks into his office to find a note from his partner saying she went to check a lead with her former boyfriend. Mulder thinks nothing of the note until Scully does not come back two hours later. The agent contacts Skinner and is informed that Scully has been taken hostage. Quickly, the man leaves his office to help in the search for his partner. Five hours later, Mulder checks his watch and excuses himself to pick up his daughter.

"Where's Scully?" Chloe questions her father once they enter his office half an hour later. Unsure how to approach the girl's question, Mulder tells his daughter to sit in Scully's chair. Bending down in front of her, Mulder says, "She and another agent were taken. I'm going to need you to stay here while I talk with Director Skinner in his office so we can get her back." Seeing his daughter's eyes widen, he says, "She's okay for now. I just need you to stay as calm as you can for me. Okay?"

The girl nods.

Chloe tries to focus on her book as she waits for her father to come back to his office. Unfortunately, Nancy Drew's adventures cannot hold the girl's interest, especially when Scully is missing. Sighing, the child eyes the autopsy door; her book in hand, Chloe walks into the cold room and sits on the female agent's chair. An hour later, Chloe's reading is interrupted when her father, walking toward her, asks, "What are you doing in here?"

Her father now crouched down beside her, Chloe trembles, "I wanted to be closer to Scully." Placing his hand's on his daughter's arms, Muler responds, "We're looking for her Chloe. She'll be back soon." He watches as a tear falls down his daughter's face before she chockingly whipsers, "I don't want her to go." With more tears from the girl, Mulder hugs his daughter and hears the child mumble into his shirt, "Mom." Schooling his features at his daughter's statement, the agent brushes tears from his daughter's right eye as he lightly questions, "Your mom?" The child sniffs and nods.

"Scully's the only person I see as a mom and I don't want to lose her," Chloe chokes trying not to sob. Taking his daughter into his arms, Mulder carries a now sobbing Chloe back into his office. Sitting in silence, Mulder sits in his desk chair, his feet propped on his desk as he stares at the ceiling and turns a pencil around in his fingers. No one is closer to finding his partner and with his daughter's exclaimation about Scully, the man has a renewed interest in finding the red head. Sitting upright in his chair after placing his feet back on the floor, Mulder watches his daughter sleep in the chairs he's pushed together for her. The girl's breath rises and falls and part of the agent wonders if he can ask the higher ups for a couch. Thankful his daughter has inherited his gift of sleeping anywhere, Mulder decides to step outside and call Skinner to see what else the man has. Just as he shuts his office door, Mulder's desk phone rings. Quickly running back in the room in case Skinner has called, the man is shocked by who is on the other line. With the Jack Willis' voice saying the words of Warren Dupre echoing in his ear, Mulder after speaking to Scully for a second, threatens Dupre, or rather Jack Willis. Hanging up, Mulder sees his daughter staring at him.

"Was that Scully?" The girl questions, "Is she okay?"

"I'm not sure, Chlo. When they find her we can see her though, okay?" Mulder reassures his daughter. The girl simply nods and stays close to her father until he is called to help Scully. Just as he said, two hours earlier, Mulder takes Chloe to the hospital where an upset Scully sits. The red head continues her pleas that she is fine when Chloe's voice causes her to look at the girl who has now wrapped her small arms around the woman. Scully smiles at the hug and brushes the girl's hair back before catching Mulder's relieved face. He sits on the other side of his daughter who is now curled up next to Scully with her head on the woman's shoulder.

"You okay?" He questions trying not to touch the abrasions left on her wrists from the handcuffs that have been removed. Giving a brief glance at Chloe, Scully answers in the positive, but Mulder can see her stoic nature crumble.

"Agent Scully?" A nurse says. The red head looks at her.

"An exam room is ready for you," The nurse answers. Scully nods and attempts to get up, but Chloe holds a bit tighter to the agent.

"Chlo," Scully reassures as she gently places a hand on the child to loosen the girl's grip. The nurse steps in and says, "Sweetie, we're simply going to x-ray your mom's wrists. She'll be right back." Her stubborn streak showing, Chloe looks as if she is going to challenge the nurse when Mulder places his arm around the girl.

"I've got her," He says keeping the peace. Half an hour later, Scully enters the waiting area once again to see Chloe asleep against her father. Scully sits beside the pair again and whispers with a half attempt at a joke, "I hope the nurse didn't anger her too much."

"She'll bounce back. Are you okay with the nurse's comment?" The man asks causing Scully to look at the man quizzically. Mulder offers a quick rebuttal saying, "You haven't been referred to as her mother, except that one time at lunch a few months ago, so I thought-"

"I'm fine with it," Scully interrupts placing her head against the cool wall of the hospital and stroking the child's hair. Mulder watches the woman's interactions with his daughter and is thankful his partner is in his and his daughter's life.

"She really likes you, Scul. She sat in autopsy while I was in Skinner's office earlier," The male agent states. As he sees a faint smile play on his partner's lips, part of the man wishes to magically make Scully his daughter's mother simply for Chloe's sake. However, Mulder knows the girl's wish is something far beyond his control. Besides, he cannot fathom putting such a pressure on the woman.

"Chloe called me her mother over the weekend," Scully relays causing Mulder to stare at his partner. His partner continues stating, "Well, more of a mother figure. She wishes I were her mom."

"Does she remember telling you?" Mulder questions wanting to tell her his conversation with his daughter. Scully shakes her head voicing, "I never asked. She told me as she was falling asleep."

Mulder comes close to telling Scully about Chloe's confession when the physician comes by to tell Scully she is fine except he wants her to be with a responsible party to make sure she has no concussion. A cheeky grin appears on Mulder's face when he says, "Guess you're coming with me and Chloe."

"Really, Mulder. I'm fine," Scully counters. His grin widens as Mulder answers, "You heard the Doc." In a mock sigh, Scully agrees as she grabs her coat and the prescription she has for pain medication and follows his partner, carrying his daughter, to the car. An hour later, Scully enters the Mulder's apartment opening the door wider for her partner as he comes in behind his sleepy daughter. The trio barely speaks as Mulder has his daughter get ready for bed and finds sheets to put on his bed for Scully. Part of the woman wants to protest using her partner's bed, but her energy is at its limit. Instead, she asks her partner for a shirt and thanks him before climbing in the bed. She is awoken half an hour later when Chloe crawls in bed with her.

"Dad says I don't have to go to school tomorrow," The girl responds happily and drowsily. Scully smiles at the girl as she scoots over to let the girl in the bed.

"How'd you learn that?" Scully mumbles placing a protective arm around the child. Yawning, Mulder's daughter explains her father told her when he came to tell her good night. The pair is silent and Scully is about to fall back asleep when she hears the nine year old speak again.

"I'm glad you're okay," Chloe says falling asleep against the red head. Scully hugs the girl tighter before drifting off to sleep herself. Unbeknownst to the girls, Mulder wakes up early the next morning and is able to take a photo of the pair sleeping. After the past day's events, the agent simply wishes his life can always be like this.

**Review!**


End file.
